“I was a seven-year-old boy when I started accompanying my father on his errands as an installation technician in the settlement where I grew up”, says Mostafa, 25.
Born in Iran to Afghan parents who arrived from Afghanistan, Mostafa has been living in Rafsanjan refugee settlement, in the south-eastern province of Kerman, his entire life. His passion for fixing and installing equipment made him the perfect candidate to operate and manage the sewage treatment plant (STP) set up in the settlement by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior’s Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Migrants Affairs (BAFIA).
Funded by the European Commission's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), the project addresses the water crisis in this arid and semi-arid part of the country. By treating wastewater generated from the settlement’s communal showers and latrines, and by removing contaminants, water becomes environmentally safe and suitable for local agricultural needs and for watering green spaces. This is lifting the burden on the settlement’s main groundwater sources.
Evolving infrastructure for a 40-year-old settlement
Rafsanjan Settlement was built by the government of Iran nearly four decades ago when Afghans began to seek refuge in Iran, fleeing conflict, insecurity and economic hardship in neighbouring Afghanistan. Its infrastructure was designed to meet immediate needs for a temporary period. Yet, nearly 40 years on, second and third generation Afghans still call it home.
Among the settlement’s municipal services, ten sewage tanks had, until recently, been the only system of collecting wastewater from the communal showers and latrines. The tanks had to be pumped out on a daily basis, contributing to harmful environmental and health hazards.
Bibigol, a 37-year-old mother living in the settlement remembers the problems she and others would face at the showers before the sewage treatment plant became operational.
“The number of people wanting to take a shower at end of each week (Thursdays and Fridays) is much higher. Since the tanks were not pumped out on Fridays, they would overflow and people using the shower would be ankle-deep in overflowing wastewater.”
The settlement’s groundwater source was used for meeting household water needs as well as watering the settlement’s pistachio farm and the green spaces.
This meant that there were days when the residents would not be able to take a shower as the water pressure was too low. Today, agricultural related water needs are supplied from the treated wastewater, leaving the main groundwater source solely for household and communal needs.
“It’s such a good system,” says Bibigol. I’ve told my relatives back in Afghanistan about it and I wish this could be created for them there as well.”
Globally, over 80 per cent of the wastewater generated by society flows back into the environment without being treated or reused .UN
Circular economy
The settlement’s region is home to Iran’s main pistachio farms, producing the world-renowned export product that along with other agricultural products consumes over 90 per cent of the province’s water resources. On a global level, agriculture currently accounts for 70 per cent of water withdrawals, most of which is for irrigation. This figure rises in areas where there is higher stress on water resources and more population density.
In Rafsanjan, excessive water consumption patterns in the pistachio farming industry has made it susceptible to shortages and farms face associated risks. Access to reliable water sources is, therefore, crucial.
While the settlement’s water output from the sewage treatment currently only meets its own internal needs, the project’s objective is to expand this to levels where it becomes a reliable income source by, for example, selling to nearby pistachio farms. This will help the settlement meet its municipal-related costs and will also contribute to the sustainability and survival of agriculture in the immediate area.
The answer is in nature
It is estimated that globally, over 80 per cent of the wastewater generated by society flows back into the environment without being treated or reused. The theme of this year’s World Water Day is Nature for Water and today, it is more important than ever to ensure we maintain a mutual balance and harmony between the two.
Rafsanjan Settlement’s treatment of wastewater is expected to reach full potential in the coming year. At present, the water is being regularly tested for mineral concentration levels in coordination with the Department of Environment. Their advice will help ensure the right levels are maintained for environmentally safe use.
The project has also provided a steady income for Mostafa who has a four-year old daughter. He puts in long working hours and is available around-the-clock, in case the system experiences any technical issues.
“My work involves being exposed to what is natural for any environment. We’re all producing waste. It’s not a clean job, but someone has to do it,” he says.
Mostafa has two assistants working with him. “For now we’re meeting our own needs at the settlement through connection to two communal showers and two latrines,” he says. “We hope we’ll expand to all the units and generate enough to sell to local farmers who have already showed they’re very interested.”
