Polluted flood wave from Diyala River shuts northern Wasit water treatment plants

WASIT — A polluted flood wave from the Diyala River has entered the Tigris within Wasit Governorate, prompting authorities to shut down water treatment plants from Suwayrah to al-Dabouni as a precaution, officials said Sunday.

Local water resources director Karim Hussein told 964media that “pollutants entered the Tigris River through the Diyala River in the form of sewage and wastewater,” with contamination concentrated in Suwayrah. Authorities have deployed water tankers and are coordinating with the Water Resources Ministry to increase Tigris water releases to push the polluted wave downstream.

Wasit Water director Ali Habib said “the polluted flood wave caused the shutdown of most of our complexes from Suwayrah to al-Dabouni,” and urged residents to “obtain large storage tanks to ensure water availability and avoid damage during this period.” Officials said the pollution wave is expected to subside within two days.