Sharazur water declared safe after outbreak of illness

SULAYMANIYAH — The Sharazur Water Authority announced Tuesday that final test results confirm local household water is safe to drink following a contamination scare earlier this month. Recent tests reveal that the water is clean and safe for consumption.

The investigation was prompted by a widespread outbreak of vomiting and diarrhea on Nov. 5, 2024, which affected more than 2,000 residents in Sharazur district, leading many to seek hospital treatment. In response, a committee from the Sulaymaniyah Health and Water Authorities was dispatched to Sharazur to test the water.

“After the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhea was reported by the district health authorities, we were alerted to the possibility of household water contamination,” Ramazan Arif, spokesperson for the Sharazur Water Authority, told 964media. “Two committees from the Sulaymaniyah Water Control Division and the Health Protection Department collected water samples from four homes in the residential district. Within 48 hours, test results indicated contamination, as the water in these homes had mixed with wastewater from the neighborhood.”

Arif continued, “On the same day the samples were collected, we identified the source of the contamination—a burst pipe in several alleys. After repairing and flushing the pipes, we returned on the fourth day with the same two committees to conduct further testing on water from seven additional homes. Today, on the seventh day, results confirmed that the water is now clean and safe for consumption, and residents can use it confidently.”

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Health previously confirmed that the outbreak was due to contamination in the drinking water supply. However, they were initially uncertain whether the contamination originated at the source or was caused by pipeline leaks. The latest results now confirm that the two primary water sources supplying Sharazur are safe.

Meanwhile, Saman Sabir, spokesperson for the Emergency Department of Shahid Raouf General Hospital, shared with 964media that “hospital visits for vomiting and diarrhea have decreased by 99%, and the hospital is back to normal operations, handling cases as usual.”

This resolution comes after days of urgent efforts by local authorities to address the crisis and restore clean water to residents.