Wastewater and runoff

Erbil governorate launches campaign to close farms using contaminated water

ERBIL — Erbil governorate has launched a multi-week campaign to clear agricultural lands irrigated with contaminated water to avoid related health risks. The governorate announced Thursday that efforts are underway to remove unauthorized farming operations, many of which use polluted water to grow vegetables.

In a statement, the governorate reported that over 500 dunams (approximately 123.5 acres) of land had been cleared and more than 100 illegal greenhouses dismantled. These farms, often irrigated with untreated wastewater, were producing vegetables in violation of health and environmental regulations.

Last Thursday, teams from the Erbil Municipality, in coordination with the Environmental Monitoring Committee, say they intensified efforts to shut down all unauthorized agricultural activities. “We began this large-scale operation to address the illegal use of untreated sewage and contaminated water for farming, which has been a primary cause of the spread of diseases in the region,” the statement read.

The campaign focuses on areas where farms were irrigated with wastewater and runoff, including polluted household sewage. Officials emphasized the danger this practice poses to public health, calling it a “direct cause of serious illnesses linked to contaminated produce.”