TEHRAN — Tehran water rationing drew near Wednesday as the city scaled back nighttime pressure on the municipal grid and warned formal rationing could begin within weeks if seasonal rains do not arrive, officials and state media said, Nov. 12, 2025.
Officials cited sustained drought, steep reductions in inflows to the city’s reservoirs, and long-term mismanagement as drivers of the crisis.
Tehran water rationing: what authorities say
President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government would “have to ration water” if there is no rain by late November and warned evacuation measures could be considered if conditions deteriorate.
Night pressure cuts and conservation
Energy officials described nightly pressure cuts as a temporary step to stabilize an aging system and reduce leakage while urging households to conserve. No formal rationing order is in place, but agencies say pressure can drop to zero in some neighborhoods.
Dam levels and supply outlook
Water supply has become a major concern for communities across Iran as storage declines.
Reservoir inflows and storage
Inflows to the capital’s reservoirs have decreased 43% from last year, according to the Tehran Regional Water Company. Amir Kabir (Karaj) Dam holds about 14 million cubic meters—roughly 8% of capacity—intensifying stress on the system.
Nationwide situation
Across the country, 19 large dams are essentially near dry. In Mashhad, reserves have dropped below 3%, highlighting how shortages are spreading beyond the capital.
Demand, agriculture and power
Agriculture uses about 80% of Iran’s freshwater, limiting the impact of urban conservation alone. Low reservoir levels have also reduced hydropower output and pushed some plants offline because they lack sufficient cooling water.
5 important things to know about the crisis
- Citywide pressure cuts: Implemented nightly to protect the network; some districts report zero pressure during cutbacks.
- Inflows down 43%: Weak recharge has reduced the operational buffer heading into winter precipitation.
- Amir Kabir at ~8%: Critically low storage at a key reservoir amplifies supply risk for Tehran.
- Nationwide strain: Nineteen major dams are near empty; Mashhad’s reserves are below 3%.
- Escalation risk: Officials are weighing formal rationing and contingency evacuation planning if rains fail.
What’s next
Authorities are diverting limited supplies across basins, encouraging residents to install storage tanks and pumps, and pressing heavy users to curb demand. Experts say durable relief will require leakage reduction, irrigation modernization, broader metering and pricing reforms, and integrated water–energy planning to improve resilience.
