Southern Iraq’s school for leaks
Related pages: Iraq
country profile | MDG 7: Environment
| Hilary Benn opens
'School for leaks' in Basra (20 March 2006)
People in the West expect and get clean running water on tap – thanks in part to
skilled workers who maintain the pipe systems and treatment works.
But in Southern Iraq the poor quality and unreliable supply of water are health
hazards.
After years of neglect, only two thirds of people in the Southern Iraq have
water piped to their homes and in Basra, Iraq’s second biggest city, it is only
one in four. Those who can afford it buy treated water from street vendors
because they don’t trust the foul smelling water that comes out of the taps.
Chronically short of spare parts and essential maintenance skills, Basra’s Water
Directorate has been struggling to keep supplies flowing through its decrepit
pipe system. The problems are aggravated by a decade of underfunding.
How has DFID helped?
 To help ease the skills shortage, DFID has funded a new Water Directorate
Training Centre to train engineers from all four southern governorates of Iraq.
Opening the centre during a visit to Iraq in March 2006, Secretary of State for
International Development Hilary Benn said:
“Reconstructing the water system is a priority for the Government of Iraq
and there is still much more to be done to ensure the people of Basra have
access to clean running water in their homes.
“But giving people the skills to fix small leaks before they become big
problems is just one good investment that will help keep the water flowing
for people in southern Iraq for the long-term.”
Funded through DFID’s £40 million Iraq Infrastructure Services Programme, the
centre will train the engineers in all essential skills including leak
detection, equipment maintenance, water treatment processes and safe working
practices.
Apart from funding the centre, the same DFID programme is helping to provide
sustainable sources of drinking water for almost 500,000 people in Basra by the
summer of 2006.
 The training centre was designed by Iraqi engineers on a Northern Ireland model,
and built by a Basra-based company employing up to 120 local tradesmen a day.
The project is part of an Iraqi-led reconstruction process in the southern
region, one of whose goals is to bring sustained improvements to the quality and
quantity of water supply to all citizens, particularly the poor and vulnerable.
With two lecture rooms, two laboratories, a computer suite and an extensive
outdoor training area, the facility has room for 64 ‘trainees’ at any one time.
It has a residential block those visiting from other provinces, and is designed
so that extra training areas can be added if funding is available.
The centre has links with Basra University which has helped with curricula
setting and training methods. Six members of the Basra Water Directorate also
went on a study tour to Northern Ireland in November 2005 and took part in
practical training provided by the Northern Ireland Water Service.
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A history of water problems
In the 1990s access to safe drinking water across Iraq dropped by a third. Now
more over 4 million more Iraqis have access to drinking water than before 2003.
Also in the 1990s all sewage systems stopped working. No sewage or wastewater
plants were working before 2003 but now 9.6 million more people have access to
the sewerage system.
There are few signs of war damage to pipes and other water supply equipment in
Southern Iraq. The main causes of supply failure are lack of maintenance, lack
of money and looting.
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Key facts
- The Basra Water Training centre cost £330,000 and will provide training
for engineers from all four of Iraq’s southern governorates: Al Basrah, Al
Muthanna, Dhi Qar and Maysan.
- Basra has 1.5 million citizens. Only 23% have water piped to their
homes.
- DFID will help provide sustainable sources of drinking water for almost
500,000 more people in Basra by the summer of 2006.
- Over 4 million more Iraqis have access to drinking water than before
2003.
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