In Tehran — Photo: Kamyar Adl

As Iran approaches another long, scorching summer with possible water shortages, the Energy Ministry is telling millions of Iranians to make cautious use of their air-conditioning systems because each could use up to 200 liters of water a day, the newspaper Jaam-e Jam reported.

The Ministry characterized it as “more than the standard” amount of water used by one Iranian every day, and observed that having AC running all day was like adding a person to every household.

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Low water levels near Tehran’s Lar dam — Photo: Alireza Javaheri

Officials regularly warn Iranians about wasting water, gas and electricity. It is not uncommon for a passerby to smell gas leaking from building pipes on buildings during winter, and gas shortages are a recurring theme of official warnings in wintertime. The Ministry urged Iranians to keep their AC's “cooling boxes” (often stuck on walls or placed on roofs) away from the sun, or to buy more efficient systems.

Jaam-e Jam reported that water levels in one of Tehran’s dams had fallen so low that “cars could easily drive inside.” The Lar dam is currently holding 53 million cubic meters of water, compared to 96 at the same time in 2013. Reporters from Fars news agency drove into the dam and observed that boats are now stuck there.

— Ahmad Shayegan