Lessons from a new water treatment plant in a water-stressed region

Mashhad, Iran's second largest city, has a population of over 2.5 million and around 20 million pilgrims visit annually. This results in an additional burden on essential services during the high season. Provision of potable water is no exception. Recently, the Regional Water Authority invested in a new water project to link up with Mashhad's water transmission pipeline. This additional 150 million m3 water per annum could provide up to 65% of Mashhad's potable water. The new WTP was to be based on the design proposed by a French company. Because of time constraints, managerial issues and technology transfer problems due to sanctions, it was not possible to strictly follow the original solutions or benefit from the company's full consultancy services. It therefore became necessary to adopt and adapt the foreign design to the context specifics of the project with limited or no reliance on the French consultants. The project experienced delivery delays and over-budgeting, and faced serious problems before, during and after construction. This chapter investigates the project's design, construction and commissioning designs and problems which emerged during the operation phases. It concludes with some practical recommendations for future projects as they are commissioned, designed, constructed and operated.