Erbil uses graywater to irrigate the city’s public parks

ERBIL, August 15 — Erbil’s Directorate of Gardens is using graywater to irrigate the city’s parks in an effort to find sustainable methods to mitigate against the effects of climate change on trees, plants, and flowers around town.

Water from sinks, showers, and drains is directed into the city’s rainwater collection system and does not mix with sewage. That water is then used to water the city’s park, gardens, and landscaped areas.

A number of wells in Erbil’s parks and gardens have dried up over the past two years due to declining groundwater levels, prompting the Directorate to find other sources.

Rebeen Ahmed, head of the Directorate of Gardens, told 964: “In the past seven months, more than two billion liters of household water have been reused to irrigate public gardens and trees lining the streets.”

“The current heatwave will certainly impact the environment, gardens, and parks, but not to the extent of a drought. We have a good irrigation schedule in place, despite the water shortage.”