Tehran’s water supply may contain a high level of nitrates, says the chairman of Tehran City Council’s committee for health, the environment and utilities.
Rahmatollah Hafezi told the Etemad daily that the nitrate content in dam water gathered from precipitation is at the acceptable level of 10 millgrams per litre. He said, however, that the nitrate levels in well water is as high as 60 milligrams per litre.
According to Hafezi, under the current water shortage, well and dam water are being mixed, and the water supply now has a nitrate content of 30 milligrams per litre.
Hafezi added that World Health Organization guidelines state that the nitrate content in water for children should be under 10 milligrams per litre.
Hafezi said this is more urgent in the case of infants, for whom a high nitrate content could be fatal.
