Iran able to supply drinking water for 87% in rural areas, says energy ministry

Iran’s Energy Ministry announced that drinking water is now available to nearly 87% of the country’s rural population.

News ID: 5967

Date: 09 February 2025 - 12:00

TABNAK, Feb 09: Head of the Ministry’s Strategic Planning Office Behrouz Moradi said that some 86.84% of people living in Iran’s villages have access to clean piped water, adding that the figure is much higher than a global average of 59.6%.

Moradi disclosed the figures two days before the 46th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

He said that only 12% of Iran’s rural population had access to clean water when the Revolution took place in 1979.

The official added that the area covered by Iran’s water transfer network had increased from 552,000 hectares in 1979 to 2.391 million hectares in 2025.

Moradi said that the number of dams in Iran had also increased by more than 11 times in 46 years to reach nearly 220, adding that the country’s water storage capacity is now at 50 billion cubic meters.

The number of wastewater treatment plants in Iran increased to 277 units in 2025 from only 4 in 1979, he said, adding that more than 170 water treatment plants are currently operating in the country versus 27 that were active 46 years ago.

The official said that Iran had no desalination plants when the Revolution took place, adding that some 104 such facilities are currently producing water for people living in southern and central parts of the country.