Water Facility Reopens South of Baghdad

By Army Pfc. Evan Loyd
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 16, 2008 - Local Iraqi leaders and U.S. soldiers celebrated the reopening of the Bawi water pump and filter facility Dec. 13 in Salman Pak, south of Baghdad. The facility can provide water to nearly all residents of Madain Qada in Baghdad province.

"Before the plant was reconstructed, the volume of the water produced could only reach half the residents of Salman Pak, and then only if power wasn't out," said Army Staff Sgt. Douglas King, the team sergeant for Civil Affairs Team 32, attached to the 1st Armored Division's 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. "Now there are four pumps and two large generators, which can provide water to most of the Madain and without worrying about whether the power is up or not."

An Iraqi contractor rebuilt the generators and pumps and filtration systems.

"Engineer Mohammed and the contractor, Fahmi, did a great job of restoring the plant," Army 1st Lt. Jesse Elmore, the team leader for Civil Affairs Team 32, said. "Contractor Fahmi actually went above and beyond the job, even building a cover for the generators to keep the rain off of the electric parts."

Now that the plant is working, the Iraqi government's plan is to concentrate on the distribution systems throughout the Madain, officials said.

(Army Pfc. Evan Loyd serves with the 1st Armored Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team.)