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Arbil Water Treatment Plant a Model for the Region |
By Brian Padden
Irbil, Iraq
27 September 2007 |
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Recent outbreaks of cholera in parts of Iraq highlight the
need for basic services like clean water. Development projects in much of the
country have been delayed because of the deteriorating security situation
there. But in the relatively safe Kurdish north, a U.S. development official
points to new progress. VOA's Brian Padden reports how the city of Irbil 's
new water treatment plant is the solution for the growing demand for potable
water.
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| Ifraz water treatment plant on the
banks of the Zab River |
Located on the banks of the Zab River in Northern Iraq, the
Ifraz water treatment plant now produces clean drinking water for more than
half a million people in the Kurdish city of Arbil. Gary York with the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers says this facility is one of the largest Iraq
reconstruction projects funded primarily by American aid.
"The Ifraz was, I believe the second largest (dollar-wise)
construction project in the country, coming in right around the $191 million
mark," said York.
Like similar treatment plants around the world, various
filters here remove solid waste, and chemicals like chlorine disinfect the
water. "By World Health standards this water has to be five parts per
million," said York. "As you can see we are coming out not even one part per
million."
The facility produces 6,000 cubic meters of clean water an
hour and pumps it to the city, 32 kilometers away.
Initially the water pressure produced by Ifraz caused leaks
in many of the city's existing water mains.
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| Pipes run through neighborhoods
not connected to the Ifraz |
Those neighborhoods not connected to Ifraz still rely on
deep wells owned by the city. Mashood Omar operates a well that serves
about 1,000 homes. He says there is no testing for water quality, and service
is sporadic. "There are three pipes, and we open one pipe per day," he said.
A U.S. development official credits the relative peace and
security of the region for the success of the treatment plant in Arbil.
If the insurgency would ease, he says, this could be a
solution for other parts of Iraq.
