Tal Abta celebrates arrival of clean drinking water after 65-year wait

NINEVEH — After more than six decades of waiting, residents of Tal Abta in Nineveh are celebrating the arrival of clean drinking water, ending a long period of hardship. For 65 years, the people of Tal Abta and neighboring areas relied on wells and purchased water tanks to meet their daily needs. Now, thanks to the activation of the Qayyarah Water Project, their wait is over.

Tal Abta, a town in the Al-Hadr district of Nineveh, located 73 kilometers from Mosul, had endured severe water shortages for decades. Villagers frequently had to travel up to 50 kilometers to fetch water or purchase expensive tanker deliveries to meet their needs.

“The water will flow from the Qayyarah station to reach the farthest point in the project area,” Project Manager Omar Al-Jubouri told 964media, ensuring that Tal Abta and surrounding villages now have access to safe drinking water.

Al-Jubouri explained that the project was designed with a production capacity of 3,000 cubic meters per hour, overseen by the General Directorate of Water. It spans 10.4 acres and is expected to supply clean water to approximately 150,000 people across the areas of Qayyarah, Al-Shura, Tal Abta, and neighboring villages in Nineveh.

The project has been a lifeline for Tal Abta, which is located 77 kilometers from the main water source. The unified Qayyarah-Shura-Tal Abta water project is now fully operational, delivering water directly to homes and significantly improving the quality of life for the region’s residents.

Salem Othman Al-Hareer, a local resident, expressed his gratitude, recalling how difficult it was to secure water for his family. “For over 60 years, we depended on wells and had to buy water tanks that traveled 40 kilometers to reach us,” he said. “Today, this long-awaited dream has finally come true, and we are grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.”

The arrival of clean water has sparked celebrations across Tal Abta, with families rejoicing at the end of decades of struggle for such a basic necessity. However, this achievement also highlights Iraq’s broader water management challenges, exacerbated by aging infrastructure, inefficient irrigation, and the overuse of water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.