Zubair water supplies halve after Bad’ah dam collapses again

BASRA — Water supplies to Zubair district in Basra governorate have fallen by 50% after a fresh collapse of the Bad’ah dam less than two weeks after it was repaired, local officials said Friday, warning that most neighborhoods now face a severe shortage.

Alaa al-Asadi, director of Zubair Water Directorate, told 964media the district was facing a “real water crisis” after the dam failed again around 10 days after restoration work was completed. The collapse caused major damage to the water transmission system and sharply cut the volume reaching the district. Zubair needs about 3,000 cubic meters of water to meet residents’ needs, but supplies have dropped to just 1,500 cubic meters, leaving the system unable to fully serve the area.

The shortage has forced a rotational distribution system, with water pumped to parts of the district in the morning and redirected in the evening to the Al-Shuhada neighborhood station to reach as many residents as possible. Al-Asadi said the directorate has only two tanker trucks, which he called inadequate for demand, and urged urgent intervention to restore normal supplies.

He also asked residents not to interfere with the network by closing taps on secondary connections, known locally as “kakat,” to boost flow to their own neighborhoods. “These practices are incorrect and negatively affect the smooth distribution of water within the network,” he said, urging patience and cooperation until supplies stabilize.