Water levels below 3% in dam reservoirs for Iran's second city, say reports

"The water storage in Mashhad's dams has now fallen to less than 3%, Hossein Esmaeilian, the chief executive of the water company in Iran's second largest city by population, told the ISNA news agency. He added: The current situation shows that managing water use is no longer merely a recommendation it has become a necessity. Mashhad, home to around 4 million people and Iran's holiest city, relies on four dams for its water supply."

"Esmaeilian said consumption in the city had reached around 8,000 litres per second, of which about 1,000 to 1,500 litres per second is supplied from the dams. Authorities in Tehran warned over the weekend of possible rolling cuts to water supplies in the capital amid what officials call the worst drought in decades. The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has cautioned that without rainfall before winter, even Tehran could face evacuation."

"If people can reduce consumption by 20%, it seems possible to manage the situation without rationing or cutting off water, Esmaeilian said, warning that those with the highest consumption could face supply cuts first. Nationwide, 19 major dams about 10% of the country's reservoirs have effectively run dry, Abbasali Keykhaei of the Iranian Water Resources Management Company said in late October, according to Mehr news agency. The water crisis in Iran follows months of drought across the country."

Mashhad's dam reservoirs have dropped below 3% capacity, leaving the city of about 4 million people dependent on just 1,000–1,500 litres per second from dams while total consumption reached about 8,000 litres per second. Tehran faces critical dam levels, with five major dams supplying drinking water at severe shortage and one empty; authorities warned of possible rolling cuts and even evacuation without rainfall before winter. Nationwide, 19 major dams, roughly 10% of reservoirs, have effectively run dry. Officials say a 20% reduction in consumption could avert rationing, while high consumers may face priority cuts. The crisis follows months of drought and recent heatwave-driven outages.

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