Officials say capital city’s water system ready for summer despite aging infrastructure

BAGHDAD — Baghdad’s municipal authorities announced on Sunday that they have begun extensive preparations for the summer season, including maintenance of water infrastructure, renewal of transmission lines, and ensuring fuel supplies to keep water generators running.

Hikmat Abdul Majid, Director General of Baghdad’s Water Directorate, told Al-Sabah newspaper that “the municipality produces more than 4.25 million cubic meters of potable water daily through 13 projects distributed across both Karkh and Rusafa.” He added that over 30 percent of the water is lost due to network leakage, calling it a challenge for resource management.

Abdul Majid said his department launched its summer readiness plan early, focusing on maintenance and rehabilitation of water projects and upgrading transmission lines in more than 90 percent of Baghdad’s neighborhoods, especially areas with aging and deteriorated infrastructure.

Regarding unexpected water outages in certain areas, Abdul Majid explained that they are mostly caused by power fluctuations and illegal connections to main water lines. He said, “The solutions include providing kerosene to keep the generators running, which helps maintain steady water pressure.”

He confirmed that Baghdad is fully prepared to meet summer demand and that “there will be no shortage of drinking water during the coming summer months.”