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U.S. Navy, Army Work Together to Provide Water for Iraqis

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS091125-10
Release Date: 11/25/2009 10:11:00 AM

By Ensign Clinton C. Beaird, Navy Provisional Detainee Battalion 6 Public Affairs

CAMP BUCCA, Iraq (NNS) -- Today at Camp Bucca, Iraq, more than one hundred Iraqis and Americans celebrated the grand opening of water distribution and waste collection points for the citizens of Safwan and Umm Qasr, Iraq.

U.S. Navy hull technicians assigned to the 'Grey Scorpions' of Navy Provisional Detainee Battalion (NPDB) 6, worked to construct two waste collection points capable of receiving 500,000 gallons of waste daily, and a water distribution point capable of providing 50,000 gallons of potable water daily.

"These guys did an amazing job with limited resources, and they can look back on their tour with a positive light because they helped the people of Iraq. I couldn't be more proud of these Sailors that I worked with!" said Senior Chief Builder Randy Lugenbell of Branson, Mo.

These projects were completed without cost. This 16-person Army and Navy team reutilized materials from the recently closed Theater Internment Facility after ending detention operations at Camp Bucca in September. Sixteen Modular Detainee Housing Units (MDHU) were welded together as an elevated-support base which distributes more than 400,000 pounds of water in the 50,000 gallon water-blivet, providing water for the local citizens of Iraq.

These projects were completed in 19 days with 250 man-hours. Daily, these will provide enough potable water to fill 13 water trucks, and capacity to collect and process waste from 125 waste trucks.

After licensed Iraqi truck drivers have completed the one-time requirements at Camp Bucca's Badging Vetting Office (BVO), they will be cleared to drive their trucks, with approximately 4 thousand gallon capacities, through the distribution-and-collection entry control point guarded by Iraqi marine forces.

There is a tremendous incentive for the local Iraqi populous to bring their waste for processing at Camp Bucca's waste water processing plant. Approximately 80 percent of the waste water processed will be usable as gray water for agricultural and irrigational purposes, as well as washing roads. Camp Bucca holds several gray water lagoons available to Iraqi trucks for the local citizens of Iraq.

"Personally I would like to thank Sgt. 1st Class Glen Gordon (of Waterloo, Wis.,) and Senior Chief Randy Lugenbell (of Branson, Mo.,) for being able to complete these very beneficial projects before the challenging deadline of Sept. 30, 2009. These are the first projects in Iraq completed without funding that positively impact and directly support the local Iraqi population with fresh potable water," said 1st Lt. Michael Pias of Milwaukee, Wis., officer in charge of Facility Engineering Team and assigned to 132nd Brigade Support Battalion.