Project Rebuild Iraq Exhibition Profiles
Water and sanitation

Before the war, Iraq's operating capacity for its 140 major water treatment facilities was 3 million cubic meters a day. Today, facilities operate at about 65% of that level, primarily due to years of neglect, electricity shortages and post-war looting of plant and emergency generators. Iraq has 13 major sewage treatment plants. Baghdad's three sewage treatment plants, which together comprise three-quarters of the nation's sewage treatment capacity, are inoperable, allowing the waste from 3.8 million people to flow untreated directly into the Tigris River. In the rest of the country, most sewage treatment plants were only partially operational prior to the conflict, and shortages of electricity, parts, and chemicals have exacerbated the situation. Water pumped through the system is largely untreated, especially in the south. USAID's goal is to improve the efficiency and reliability of existing water treatment facilities, especially those located in the south where water quantity and quality are particularly low. To increase the water supply, work is underway to rehabilitate 15 water treatment facilities and portions of the Sweet Water Canal to Basra. USAID-supported water and sanitation projects will benefit over 14.5 million Iraqis.