Turkish firms to raise Arbil’s water supply

Turan Yılmaz ARBIL - Hürriyet

The groundbreaking ceremony of the facility was made in Arbil

The groundbreaking ceremony of the Arbil Water Supply Improvement System and Duhok Distribution Network, which will almost double the water supply of Arbil, was made last week with the attendance of Nacherwan Barzani, the prime minister of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (AKP). 

A Turkish consortium, composed of STFA, Kalyon and Fernas, will complete the $163 million project in 18 months.

The population in the KRG capital Arbil has almost doubled to around 2 million in the last two years, as the city has attracted many investors and workers from the surrounding region with its growth potential and secure environment. The water supply system of Arbil was not adequate to meet the water needs of the increasing population, so the KRG government opened a tender.

$30 million to develope infrastructure

The daily water capacity of the city is set to increase to 244,000 square meters from 144,000 when the project goes online. The water will be transferred to the city from a large river branching off the Tigris. The consortium will also renew the water distribution network of Dohuk, another large city in the KRG. 
“The KRG’s infrastructure is not adequate to meet the needs of its growing population and increasing prosperity. We need to make a minimum of $30 billion of infrastructure investments,” Barzani said during the groundbreaking ceremony.