History of Water Supply in Tehran
Until 1927, Tehran supplied its water through 26 subterranean canals with total water output of around 700 liter per second. However, in that year, the plan for transferring water of Karaj River to Tehran was launched. The canal was 53 kilometer in length and transferred water from Bilghan village in Karaj to Jamshid Abad in Tehran. It took four years to complete the canal. 20 kilometer of the canal were roofed and the rest were open; hence, there existed the risk of water pollution and loss. This canal allowed Tehran to add 53 Sang (old scale, one meter per 3 second water run) as the city’s transfer right and 9.84 Sang as its quota. In this way, approximately 110 Sang (Around 1600 liter per second) water could be transferred to the water reservoirs (Abanbar) in houses through water canals. In 1951, the initial plan for water pipeline development was launched in Tehran for around 900,000 population and two steel pipe water lines in 24200 cubic meter per 24-hour were designed to transfer water from Bilghan Water Intake to the first water treatment plant (Jalalieh) in Tehran. The steel pipeline and Jalalieh Water Treatment Plant entered into utilization stage in 1955. In addition, to control rain and snow falls, the feasibility studies for building Amir Kabir Dam in 40 kilometer northwest Tehran (from Farhang Kouh Water Intake) close to Karaj-Chalous Road, around Km 23 near Varian Village started in 1954. The construction operations of the Dam were commenced in 1958 and the dam was completed and entered in utilization phase in 1963.