The Red Bulls

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – A delegation of officials from Basra and Umm Qasar visited Forward Operating Base Bucca, Iraq, Oct. 9 to celebrate completion of the first phase of the water distribution project at the base.

On Oct. 1, contractors and soldiers completed phase 1 of the water and waste water treatment plants distribution systems, which now allow tanker trucks to transport treated water back to the local communities.

"The water distribution is wonderful and a benefit for Basrah’s people, and if transferred through up high, that water will be delivered to most houses,” said Zuhair Abrahim, assistant governor for Basra Province. “Right now it is good because it provides clean water when it is most scarce."

“There is currently a severe drought throughout southern Iraq,” said Marine Col. Daniel Lund, FOB Bucca’s commander. “The result is a lowering of the water table and greater intrusion of brackish water from the gulf into the existing aquifers.”

The plants are designed to allow about 50,000 people per day to use the facilities. The estimated population of Umm Qasar is 45,000.

“We are using a gravity fed, U.S. forces-erected, expeditionary water tower to fill local government designated water tankers,” Lund said.

The waste water treatment plant is used for dumping waste and distributing grey water, which may be used for irrigation purposes. It has a holding capacity of 1.5 million gallons per day and a production rate of about 1.2 million gallons per day.

“The grey water can be used for agriculture, fire suppression and truck/container wash racks at the Port of Umm Qasar,” Lund said.

The water treatment plant, along with an existing plant already operating on FOB Bucca, will have a storage capacity of 5.8 million gallons and will be able to produce around 2.8 million gallons per day.

“Bucca currently has the capacity to produce nearly 900,000 gallons of water per day with its existing water plant,” Lund said. “Our current demand is approximately 350,000 gallons per day. Within the next 30 to 60 days, an additional water treatment plant will come online.”

The development of the plants is broken up into a three phase process.

Phase 1 is the building of the perimeters at each plant. At the water treatment plant a water bladder and pipes are also being installed.

“We have created a segregated black water drop station for local trucks to dump their black water,” Lund said. “In addition, the existing grey water ponds we have developed are now available for the Iraqis to use.”
Phase 2, which is set to begin sometime in November, consists of the overall construction for the distribution points for irrigation use at the waste water treatment plants and local use at the water treatment plants.

“Phase 2 will create a hardened water distribution point and is expected to be completed in four months,” Lund said.
Presently a concept, phase 3 calls for direct lines from the plants to Umm Qasar, which is approximately two miles away.

“In phase 3 we will construct a water line to the existing municipal water distribution point in Umm Qasar,” Lund said. “That project is slated to be completed late next summer. We will build a similar black water pipe to tap into Umm Qasar’s existing sewerage system and pump the black water to the waste water treatment plant.”

Both of the state-of-the-art water treatment plants will ultimately be turned over to the Iraqi government.
“We will begin training Iraqi’s to operate these facilities and our waste water treatment and ice manufacturing plants in January 2010,” the colonel said.

The project is more than just providing people water; it may provide Iraqis with a better standard of living while leaving a good impression amongst the country’s people.

“The outcome is that the Iraqi people in the region will enjoy the benefits of modern water and wastewater infrastructure,” Lund said. “Through our joint efforts, we will significantly raise the day-to-day living standard for the local population.

“These projects will leave a very positive legacy of our country’s support and dedication to greatly assisting the Iraqis in creating a thriving and prosperous economic and political system while greatly increasing the standard of living for the average Iraqi citizen.”