Waste oil dumped near Dukan threatens crucial supply of drinking water, environmentalists warn

SULAYMANIYAH — Large quantities of waste oil have been illegally dumped in a dry stream basin in the Goma Julakan area near the Khalakan–Dukan road in Sulaymaniyah governorate, raising fears of contamination to Dukan Dam, one of the Kurdistan Region’s critical sources of drinking water, according to Waterkeepers Iraq–Kurdistan.

The organization said rainfall could carry the oil into Dukan Dam, which provides water for more than 2 million people. Its field team documented the scene with video footage showing thick black liquid spread across the streambed, describing the pollution as “environmentally destructive” and “life-threatening.”

Wahab Ahmed, an officer with the forest police in Dukan, told 964media, “What is spilled is waste oil, a heavy and very bad substance. Several times more than one tanker has been seen where this waste oil is discharged. But we do not know who is responsible. And they discharged it on the watercourse of the valley.”

He warned that rainfall could wash the oil into the dam, threatening the drinking water supply and aquatic life. “Whenever it rains, these poisonous substances move into Dukan Dam and the water of millions of people becomes polluted,” Ahmed said. “The fish and animals in the dam are also affected. This is occurring at a time when the water itself is low this year.”

The Kurdistan Regional Government recently signed the contract for the Dukan–Sulaymaniyah 3 water project. Valued at $423,890,000, the project is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the Kurdistan Region and is expected to ease Sulaymaniyah’s long-standing drinking water shortage.

The spill site lies about three kilometers from the reservoir, with contamination stretching more than 500 meters through the valley. As of Tuesday, no cleanup had taken place, and local authorities were still investigating. Though a decision has been made for local teams to initiate cleanup measures.

Nabil Musa, head of Waterkeepers Iraq–Kurdistan, told 964media, “The video we published is from Monday. The act was carried out by some persons, but we believe it is a company behind it, or oil refineries, or a factory. We are working on data collection in this case and similar ones, because we believe these actions cause disasters.” He added that some parties “discharge such substances because it is cheaper than disposing of them properly.”

Aram Omar, head of the Khalakan subdistrict municipality, called the dumping “an unpleasant disaster” and said authorities are working to identify those responsible. He said a decision was made to cover the waste oil with clay and soil before removal, describing it as “a scientific solution” that avoids further environmental harm.

Dukan Dam, which can hold more than 50 million cubic meters of water, is also a major fish habitat and tourism site. There are over hundreds of licensed establishments, local chalets and tourist spots in the Dukan area, featuring an eight-kilometer stretch of attractions along the shores.

In mid-September, 70,000 fish were released into the reservoir as part of an environmental initiative, following an earlier release of 250,000 fingerlings in August.

The spill comes as Iraq faces its worst water crisis in 80 years, with reserves at record lows following a dry rainy season. Officials have blamed climate change, prolonged drought, and upstream dam construction in Turkey and Iran for the severe shortages.