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BAGHDAD, Iraq (June 18, 2008) - The Army Corps of Engineers Gulf
Region Division is working to ensure Baghdad's water supply with
nonstop operations for the Karkh Water Treatment Plant near Taji,
northwest of Baghdad.
In a $20 million project, the back-up generator system is being
restored to keep potable water flowing to 50 percent of Baghdad
residents without interruption or worries over low levels in
reservoirs.
The plant pumps an overall daily output of 1.36 million liters
through a 2.1-meter-diameter pipe connected to several Baghdad
reservoirs and also supplies the immediate communities around
Karkh. Power outages at the plant stop the output cycle, and water
reserves and resources diminish.
"The electrical power for the plant sometimes is off for three
to four hours a day, and that means we cannot contribute water to
the reservoirs. That is not a good situation for our customers,"
reported an Iraqi plant engineer at Karkh.
In 2005, the Karkh plant was heavily damaged by a vehicle bomb.
Repair of the key elements for a continuous supply is expected to
take until October.
"Good, clean water means a lot for any community, and Baghdad is
no exception," said Navy Lt. Cdr. Paul Chan, officer in charge of
the Gulf Region Division's central district resident office in
Taji. "This is a very significant project in the stabilization of
essential services for the entire Baghdad area."
The Corps of Engineers project primarily is for design,
supplies, labor and equipment relating to system repairs of the
Rolls-Royce Avon 8.5 megawatt generators, which are the backup
power source for the plant. The project also will overhaul and
replace raw- and treated-water valves to increase both efficiency
and capacity of the plant.
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