Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Meadows | A line for pumping raw water runs from a well-water bag to a Reverse Osmosis Water...... read more read more
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Staff Sgt. Matt Meadows
4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – Baghdad Water Authority officials and Iraqi security forces opened a new water distribution site to bring purified water to residents of the Shawra Wa Um Jidir neighborhood of eastern Baghdad, June 30.
The site at Joint Security Station SUJ is part of a combined project, with some assistance from Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, dubbed Patriot H2O.
The project establishes three water-distribution sites and coordinates transportation to disburse water to 9 Nissan residents. The JSS SUJ site is the first to open for business. National police from 2nd Battalion, 8th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, are providing security for BWA distribution trucks to load water at the JSS.
SUJ residents live far away from main sources of clean potable that are north of Baghdad, explained Mr. Mudhfer, acting deputy district general for the BWA and chief civil engineer of the project. The water department has its own internal long-term projects, but sites such as these bring relief to residents in the meantime.
"It means a lot because these people have been suffering for a long time from a water shortage," said Mudhfer. "This will help to alleviate their suffering until the time that our (long-term) projects are ready."
National police Col. Salem Husaen is the battalion commander the 2nd Bn. 8th Bde., 2nd NP Div. responsible for providing security allowing delivery of water to SUJ residents. Husaen said he has not had any problems with the people in SUJ neighborhoods, and he thinks providing security for water distribution enhances the trust and relationships between his forces and the people.
Because of this growing relationship, he said he felt they will be more inclined to assist the National Police in reporting criminal and extremist activity when they bring citizens water.
The water distribution site at JSS SUJ uses water tanks to support Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit operations to purify water that is distributed water to residents via BWA trucks. ROWPU is a system that purifies water drawn from a raw-water source, explained Spc. Cindy Peters, a water purification specialist from Lady Lake, Fla. She is assigned to Company A, 94th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
"It's good handing out water to them when they come to get it," said Peters. "They want water; we've got it, and we give it to them – and they know they're drinking better water than they have been."
Peters explained how the system works. They pump in water from a well source, and it goes into a well-water bag. Then the raw water is pumped into a ROWPU for purification through a filtration system. Purified water is then pumped into a product bag before it is sent to containers or vehicles for distribution to residents or into storage tanks to be distributed at a later time.
"As a water dog, you learn to walk the line so you know where the water is coming from and going to," said Peters, who explained water dog is a nickname given to water purifications specialists when they graduate school. "I like what I do. I like being able to help, and what better way to help than giving (Iraqi citizens) purified water to drink."
In addition to ROWPU operations, educating the populace is important for preserving water as is fixing water leaks and preventing and discouraging Iraqis from illegally tapping the water lines, which causes more harm to the water system, said Maj. Jeffrey Smith, civil-military operations officer from Moss Bluff, La. assigned to for 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div.
"These efforts will assist in preventing cholera and other water-borne diseases as well as the necessity for water, which is needed for survival as much as food and shelter," said Smith.
ROWPUs can produce as much as 3,000 gallons of potable water an hour, up to 60,000 gallons a day, and the Patriot Brigade has Tactical Water Purification Systems that can produce 1,500 gallons an hour, up to 30,000 gallons a day, explained Smith.
While the distribution sites are designed for truck distribution of potable water, individual citizens will be permitted to collect their own water. All three sites have been redesigned to add this valuable service, said Smith. This offers water-distribution facilities with self-service capabilities to local neighborhoods through small, walk-up sites.
"The self-service sites are designed for the immediate needs of families within the local neighborhood," explained Smith.
Mudhfer said he thinks the three water distribution sites represent the bearing of fruits from cooperation between Iraqi officials and coalition forces. The results reflect this cooperation, and he said he would like to thank the American people. Mudhfer explained that the medium-range projects will solve about 50 to 60 percent of the water problem and a "giant project" in the Rusafa security district that will solve the problem for the next 30 years.
"I am very happy to be here to help my people," said Mudhfer. "I promise them, if everything goes well, this water shortage problem will be ended soon."
| Date Taken: | 06.30.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 06.30.2008 20:17 |
| Story ID: | 21033 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 374 |
| Downloads: | 279 |
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