War-torn Karmah to receive easily accessible drinking water

Story by Cpl. Ryan Turnage

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CAMP RAMADI, Iraq –Residents of Karmah, Iraq, a once war-torn city in eastern Al Anbar province, and surrounding areas lack clean drinking water.  During a meeting held aboard Camp Ali, Iraq, May 31, 2009, Iraqi and Coalition leaders discussed how to rehabilitate the area’s water treatment plants in order to serve a population of nearly 100,000 civilians.

            With the help of the Fallujah embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team; the Sheik council, a group of local tribal leaders; the Director-General of Water Salwa Hady, and engineers Jamal Qassim and Ahmed Eaden, Karmah will soon have a source of clean water, much like that of American suburban areas.

            Ideas to reconstruct and build new water treatment plants throughout Karmah were brought to the attention of the Fallujah ePRT by the Iraqi engineers.

            “We appreciate the attention being paid to the concern for the people of Karmah,” said Sheik Lawrence, a prominent sheikh from Karmah.

 “This is my fourth time in Iraq and I have never seen such teamwork among the ePRT, Coalition Forces, the Sheik council, and the Iraqi government,” said Col. Matthew A. Lopez, commanding officer of Regimental Combat Team 6.

            They plan to construct seven new larger water treatment plants, which will replace the need for 23 smaller plants that are practically rundown, according to Scott Albert of the Fallujah ePRT.  It will also provide new job opportunities, such as construction and maintenance crews, as well as employees to maintain the water treatment plants, he added.

 “The engineers came to me with a list of areas that are in dire need of water,” said Albert.

The Sheik council agreed to improve areas based on need, rather than helping just their local areas.  Not only will the larger water treatment plants be constructed, but plans to improve the distribution pipelines will also be vastly improved.

            “Many of the pipes are above ground and have been tapped into by those in need of water or by insurgents,” said Engineer Kasim.

There are 27 planned projects that will begin immediately after approval.  In the near future, distribution pipelines made of rusty iron above ground will be replaced by polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes underground.

“This will reduce polluted water and keep people from tampering with the pipes,” said Maj. Ashley Burch, commander of Civil Affairs Detachment 3, 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment.

Burch went on to say Karmah has been underdeveloped due to its history of insurgent activity.  In the past, civil affairs teams could only carry out smaller short-term project that could be completed in a combat environment.  Now that the fighting in Al Anbar province is less kinetic, they can focus their efforts on the true needs of the people, he said.

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Every organization involved believes these new facilities, if maintained, will have a long-lasting effect on the population of Karmah.  People will no longer need to    

For more information on the ongoing mission in Iraq’s Al Anbar province, visit www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil/iimeffwd.