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17 December 2004

Rehabilitation of Iraq's Sweet Water Canal Completed, USAID Says

Project improves water quality, nearly doubles quantity of potable water

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced on December 16 that the $23 million rehabilitation of southern Iraq's Sweet Water Canal was successfully completed.

According to a USAID press release, the cleansing and repair of the 149-mile waterway also refurbishes 13 water-treatment plants -- including a pumping station that sends water from the canal's reservoir to residential, commercial and agricultural users throughout the Basra region of Iraq.

Following is a USAID press release on the rehabilitation project:

(begin text)

WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2004

[Washington, D.C.]

Contact: USAID Press Office

The U.S. Agency for International Development's $23 million rehabilitation of Southern Iraq's Sweet Water Canal was successfully completed this week. The project was conducted on behalf of Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources with Bechtel Corporation serving as the prime contractor.

The massive cleansing and repair of this vital 149 mile waterway also includes the $12 million refurbishment of 13 water treatment plants and the repair of the RZero pumping station that sends water from the canal's reservoir through a network of pipelines leading to residential, commercial and agricultural users.

The Sweet Water Canal has been a primary source of fresh water for the city of Basrah since 1996. But lack of maintenance caused sediment to accumulate in sections of the canal and pumps to break because of the turbidity. When USAID undertook the rehabilitation, the canal's embankments were cracked and many mechanical and electrical components in the pumping stations were beyond repair.

The completed USAID project improves the quality and nearly doubles the quantity of fresh, potable water produced for the 1.75 million of the Basrah region. The training of local plant managers insures proper maintenance in the future.

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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