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[casi] ... and the USAID success story



... and the USAID success story:



US Agency for International Development (USAID)
Date: 11 Jun 2003

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Iraq: Water and sanitation

Brief Overview
A Recent UNICEF and CARE water and sanitation monitoring program in 14
governorates in Central and Southern Iraq found that out of 177 water
treatment plants, 19% were classified as good, 55% acceptable, and 26% poor.
Many of the water and sewage treatment plants were in poor states of
operation prior to hostilities. In the Northern governorates, in general,
potable water supply and sanitation systems are operating at greater
capacity than in the central and southern areas of the country.

Issues

Repairs on main water network are underway, but are often constrained by
lack of security.

Many of the water and sewage treatment plants are dependent on electricity
for their normal operations. Some back-up generators exist but many of these
systems are plagued by the lack of spare parts and normal maintenance,
vandalism, and lack of fuel.

Generally there is a lack of trained and available manpower to operate the
treatment plants on a regular basis, etc.

Solid waste collection and disposal is hampered by a lack of a trucking
fleet and excavators.

Water quality and the treatment of sewage remain primary concerns for the
long term rehabilitation efforts.

Successes

1. USAID grantee UNICEF has established a water and sanitation coordinating
working group that has been attended by USAID officials, other United
Nations groups, NGOs, and Bechtel.

2. Strengthening evaluations are being undertaken in Basrah at several of
the water treatment plants to determine the present quality of the drinking
water.

3. With USAID funding, CARE has undertaken emergency water rehabilitation in
Qaim and Ar Rutbah in the Al Anbar governorate, benefiting 80,000 persons.

4. With USAID funding, Save the Children has provided two submersible pumps
to facilitate maintenance of main pumps at the Wafal Qaed water treatment
and pumping station in collaboration with UNICEF. Approximately 500,000
persons will benefit from these activities. Save the Children is also
reviewing 78 primary health care facilities in the Al Basrah governorate and
will supply some of these centers with piped water and sanitation
facilities.

5. Bechtel has prepared preliminary estimates of repairing water treatment
plants in eastern Baghdad that would increase treated water by 45%.

6. Bechtel is developing rehabilitation plans for 8 potable water treatment
facilities in the Basrah region and rehabilitating 6 waste water treatment
plants in south central Iraq.

7. Through USAID funding, UNICEF has purchased chlorine gas, bleaching
powder, chlorinators, water purification tablets, and aluminum sulphate.

8. Numerous hospital and public health clinic potable water and sanitation
systems have been repaired by the NGO community through USAID funding.

9. Millions of liters of potable water have been provided by water trucks to
the Iraqi population over the past two months.

10. City water authorities (for example, the Baghdad Water Authority and the
Al Basrah Water Authority) have been engaged by USAID's partners to assess
current water and sewage systems and provide information and input to plans
for rehabilitating municipal systems.

Credit for providing emergency and relief potable water to the population is
due to UNICEF and other United Nations Organizations, International NGOs,
USAID, Kuwaiti government, and local water authority staff.






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