Introduction

In 1895 The Ottomans set the first water plant in Baghdad in a very simple way, and during the British invasion period the water distribution plants were small centers pumping water from Tigris river directly through bad designed and distributed main pipes full of residuals and weren’t enough to meet the real need of water. At that time, there were but two water high reservoirs one in Al-Karkh and the other in Al-Rasafa and the water was distributed to the residents of Baghdad alternately.

 Information

Baghdad Water Authority is one of Baghdad Mayoralty's affiliates. It was founded as a corporation according to the water distribution act no. (50)  on 15, Dec., 1924, and its administration linked to Works & Transportation Ministry.

In 1931, law no.(104) had been issued and in mid 1934 water distributed to Al-Karkh & Rasafa districts for 24 hours for the first time.

In 1955, law no. ( 54) had been issued and according to which Baghdad Water Authority had been founded and related administratively to Interior Ministry, then related to Municipalities Ministry when the latter had been founded in 1959

Later many amendments had been made according to act no. (39) in 1956, act no. (136) in 1963, act no. (163) in 1965, and act no. (114) in 1970, according to which Baghdad water Authority has become one of Baghdad Mayoralty's affiliates. Many rules and instructions have been issued recognizing the duty of Baghdad Water Authority.

In 1958, act no. (107) has been issued concerned the Unified General Balancing for the State in accordance with it BWA has become a productive institute valued based on profit and loss. According to this BWA began to plan and work on the economic basis aiming to get profit without affecting the citizens.

 In June 1991, BWA & Baghdad Sewer Authority have become one affiliate according to act no. (17) on 10^th,Jan., 1991. This unification lasted for year and a half, as it was cancelled according to act no. (9016) on 7^th, April, 1993.

On 5^th, Aug., 1995 act no. (16) has been issued according to all the maintenance work of the water networks distributed in residential mahalas was relegated to the Municipality's offices. The cadre and the equipment of these maintenance departments were moved to the municipality offices according to the geographical area.

According to the above act BWA work has been recognized to produce water in its plants, transfer it through trunk pipes and to maintain the water networks of more than (250)mm diameters.

2- The duty of BWA

Act no. (16)  has identified the duty of BWA according to article (8) as follows:

BWA is responsible of preparing the designs for water treatment plants and implementing them, laying raw & treated water networks, running, operating and supervising water plants. It consists of the following departments:

First: Planning & Following Up dep.

Second: Implementing Projects dep.

Third: Operation dep.

Fourth: Mechanical dep.

Fifth: Quality Control dep.

Sixth: Design dep.

Seventh: Computer dep.

Eighth : Administration & Financial Affairs dep.

In addition to the sections (Auditing, Warehouses, Law)

Note that the article (17) of act no. (16)  has identified the Municipality's offices to maintain the water networks except the trunk pipes.

 Explanation

The Municipality offices are responsible of distributing water and maintaining the water sub-networks pipes ( 250) mm and less in the residential mahalas, in addition to maintaining all the raw & treated water pipes of different sizes of the old networks till the these pipes are cut and replaced with new trunk pipes.

Drinkable Water 

BWA produces (2,250,000) m3 of drinkable water daily by eight water treatment plants and sixty water Compact Units installed in Baghdad's suburbs. The treated water is pumped to eight ground reservoirs in order to be stored and then it is re-pumped to the networks connected to these reservoirs, whose capacity is ( 650,000) m3 distributed in Baghdad's districts. In addition, there are nine small Pumping Stations serve the house-complexes.

BWA has put its plans according to the consulted studies prepared in 1982, that water production should be based on the daily consumption average of the consumer ( 500) Liter/ day  taking into consideration the  annual population expansion. The plans have also included erecting Al-Rasafa WTP with capacity of (2,250,000) M³/day and installing sixteen reservoirs in both Al-Karkh & Al-Rasafa banks, and trunk & main water networks, in addition to renewing 140 old water networks and constructing main & sub raw water networks for (150) mahalas which don’t have raw water currently.

The delay of executing Al-Rasafa WTP and its trunk pipes & reservoirs increases the gap between the produced water quantities and the real demand, which rises annually to be more than one million m3/day of water. This explains the treated water shortage especially in summer also the current networks become very old.

aw Water

Baghdad city is fed with raw water by five Raw Water Main Pumping Stations whose total capacity about (3,456,000) m³/ day two of them in Al-Karkh district and the other three in Al-Rasafa. These Stations pump raw water through new network pipes cover the whole city. Howerver these stations work with 40% of the their design capacity due to not executing the green areas in Baghdad according to the Pilot Design of the city and due to not accomplishing some lines and distribution networks.

Under Construction Projects

BWA has put plans to construct projects in order to handle water shortage problem according to the allocated amounts:

1-Executing Sharq Dijlah First Expansion accomplished this year with capacity of (225,000) m3/day which will tackle the water shortage in Al-Rasafa district.

2- Preparing the designs for Sharq Dijlah WTP Second Expansion with the capacity of (225,000) m3/day.

3- During this year, construction in water treatment plant with capacity of (125,000) m3/day in Al-Sard City has been commenced.

4- Installing Water Compact Units (CU) in different areas as follows:

●Two CUs of (9,000) m3/ day capacity have been installed with executing the networks.

● A CU of (200) m³/h capacity has been installed in Orfally at US Donor's expense.

● Four CUs of (50) m3/h capacity have been installed in Hai Al- Tareq   with executing 25 km of network at (APN) organization's expense.

● A CU of (25) m3/h capacity has been installed at Red Cross Organization's expense in Al-Fahamah .

● A tank of (50) m3/h has been installed at Red Cross Organization's expense in Al-Suba'a .

●Two CUs of (200) m3/h  capacity  with a network are being installed in Al-Amary to get water to Al-Zahraa, Al-Husseiniyah, and Al-Rashad districts at US Donor's expense. Hoping it will be accomplished in the end of October 2007.

● Plans are prepared to supply and install 30 CUs each of ( 4,500) m3 /day capacity in Oct., 2007 at Japanese Donor's expense  to be distributed them in Baghdad's suburbs, 21 CUs in Al-Rasafa bank, while 9 CUs in Al-Karkh bank.

● Contracts have been signed to supply 5 CUs to be received in Dec., 2007 and they will be installed in ( Bob-AlSham, Jaftlek { al-Rasafa})     and( Arab-Jbor in Al-Dora { Al-Karkh}) districts within 2004 investment plan.

5- Renewing treated water networks for some mahalas according to the allocated amounts have been accomplished, in addition there are some projects to renew the networks are under construction currently according to 2004 investment Plan.

 6- Commencing construction in renewing treated water networks of all the sectors &mahalas in Sadr City by PARSONS co.

7- Treated water networks in new construction areas have been executed according to the allocated amounts in addition to some projects are being executed currently according to 2004 investment plan.

8- Designs & bill of quantities have been prepared to execute raw water networks in some mahalas according to 2004 investment plan.

9- Contracts have been awarded to fix the breaks of treated water pipes by the Municipalities Offices due to lack of vehicles & cadre and thus maintenance teams will be ready to fix the breaks.

10- Some projects of rehabilitating water treatment plants (electrical, mechanical, and civil works) have been accomplished, others are under construction, awarding, and announcement according to allocated amounts according to the 2004 investment plan.

11- Implementing works to tackle the problem of water shortage through making connections for enhancement purposes and remove the blank flanges and replacing some pipes that have many leaks by direct implementation by BWA.

12- A central lab will be erected for Laboratory Dep. in order to do   the chemical & bacteriological tests.

13- Some of projects to handle the problem of water shortage and to renew networks are included within 2005 investment plan.

14- In order to handle water shortage problem, Al-Rasafa WTP, trunk pipes, and ground reservoirs should be executed.

BWA's Water Treatment Plants

BWA's Reservoirs

 BWA's Water CUs- Al-Karkh Bank

BWA's Water CUs- Al-Rasafa Bank

BWA's Pumping Station

  BWA's Raw Water Pumping Stations