A weapon of a different kind

Courtesy Photo | Col. Kevin O'Connell, a Clinton, Md., native, and commander of the 1st Sustainment Brigade, inspects a bottle of water at the Oasis Bottled Water Plant. The Oasis Bottled Water Plant on Camp Liberty is the largest of six such facilities in theater—at full capacity the plant produces over 450,000 one liter bottles per day. The 553rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 1st SB, is responsible for maintaining overall accountability of that stock and ensuring it is delivered to Soldiers on the battlefield.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

07.08.2008

Courtesy Story

1st Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade

By 1LT Mustafa Kamalreza
1st Sustainment Brigade

CAMP LIBERTY – Water resources in and around the Baghdad area are becoming increasingly precious as temperatures continue to rise. Fortunately, the 553rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Gregory W. Koller, has a unique weapon in its arsenal to combat the withering effects of 120 degree days in the desert: the largest bottled water plant in Southwest Asia. Capt. Deshaunda Allen and the 62nd Quartermaster Company, 553rd CSSB, are responsible for oversight of the Oasis Bottled Water Plant in Camp Liberty, Iraq, and arguably the most critical mission in Baghdad. After all, what other mission can continue without water?

Over the last 13 months, the plant has produced an estimated 12.6 million cases of bottled water, with over 12.4 million of those cases going out in support of coalition forces. So where does all of this water come from?

First, water is pumped out of Zee Lake inside Victory Base Camp, Iraq. Next, the water is treated with chlorine and filtered to remove particles as small as one micron (most viruses are twice as large). After that, the water undergoes reverse osmosis and then passes through a carbon filter. The filter uses carbon particles with a positive charge to pull negatively charged particles from the water. Finally, the water passes through an ultraviolet light filter, which disables the reproductive processes of any remaining microscopic organisms. The water is tested every two hours throughout the purification process to ensure its pH level - a measure of how acidic or alkaline a liquid is – remains balanced.

Upon completion of the sterilization process, the water is pumped into a sterilized tank and infused with ozone. This last step removes anything which may have survived the previous filters and also removes any odors. The ozone completely diffuses into the water after two to four hours, leaving behind nothing but the pure drinking water you see in every coalition force refrigerator.

The one liter plastic bottles that fill the CF refrigerators are made in the Oasis Bottled Water Plant as well. Tiny beads of plastic resin are inserted into one of two machines that melt down and blow the plastic into a bottle. Combined, the two machines have produced nearly 250 million bottles since the facility began production in May 2005. After the bottles are filled and sealed, a laser inscribes the water's date of production and the code for which water purification system produced it. All bottles produced on Camp Liberty have the code, "WPS-06." Take a closer look at your bottled water the next time you take a drink and you will see both when and where it was produced...in code.

181 customers have open accounts with the facility and the 62nd QM CO is responsible for the issue of bottled water to those customers. 62nd QM CO coordinates Materiel Handling Equipment assets from the West Liberty KBR MHE Yard, monitors the loading process, maintains accountability of each case, and supervises the quality of the operation. Approximately 500 pallets of water are distributed across the area of operations in Baghdad every day. Under 62nd's watch, several improvements have been made to the plant, including grating and gravelling the storage yard and the implementation of new phone and internet lines. These enhancements add to the efficiency of the operation, improving overall customer support.

The Oasis Bottled Water Plant on Camp Liberty is the largest of six such facilities in theater—at full capacity the plant produces over 450,000 one liter bottles per day. The 553rd CSSB is responsible for maintaining overall accountability of that stock and ensuring it is delivered to Soldiers on the battlefield. Not only is the Oasis Bottled Water Plant a necessity for Coalition Forces in Iraq, it is also a weapon. It is a weapon of a different kind that sustains our Soldiers.

• Date Taken: 07.08.2008
• Date Posted: 07.08.2008 05:10
• Story ID: 21283
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ