Electrical network makes difference in Betoul

Courtesy Photo | BAGHDAD -- Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team inspect the new electrical network which was installed in the Betoul neighborhood within the past year, giving area residents a reliable power supply. (U.S. Army photo)  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

10.26.2005

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

Maj. Paul Ashcraft
2nd Brigade Combat Team

BAGHDAD -- In the northeast neighborhoods of Baghdad lies the small and quiet neighborhood of Betoul.

Far from the metropolitan center of Baghdad, the people who live in these outer areas of the 9 Nissan district are poor and don't have many essential services of sewer, water and electricity.

Until recently, the electrical distribution network in this neighborhood was in fragile condition and required rehabilitation in order to provide the people with a reliable power supply.

"The network suffered from a lack of maintenance, lack of funding and outdated equipment," said Lt. Col. S. Jamie Gayton, commander of 2nd Brigade Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. "Technicians and operators were challenged with maintaining an electrical distribution network that was ignored throughout the years of Saddam Hussein's reign."

The lack of capacity and poor condition of the distribution feeders caused frequent outages in the network. Gayton said it needed to be upgraded and, in many cases, replaced with new feeders and equipment.

In an effort to help raise the standard of living for area residents, the U.S. Army initiated a project in November 2004 to build an electrical network in Betoul. This entailed installing 11-kilovolt cable for 715 home residential networks. It also included a 250-kilovolt transformer for every 40 houses, and the installation of 475 electrical poles. The contractor also installed street lights and 250-amp circuit breakers.

Originally, the concept was to put the responsibility on the homeowners to make the final connections to their house. However, Gayton said, everyone involved agreed that if given the choice of taking a legal connection from the overhead power lines or making an unsafe illegal connection, residents would choose the latter. Thus, the project was modified to include connections all the way to the houses.

The project also marked the beginning of a cooperative effort between the U.S. Army and the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity. With the network complete, it still lacked the electrical feeder line to energize it. The Ministry of Electricity installed an 11-kilovolt feeder line from the Segeyer substation four kilometers away.

As the engineer responsible for infrastructure improvements in eastern Baghdad, Gayton pointed out another unique aspect of this particular project: "Betoul is the first area where I have seen the municipality planning a neighborhood and establishing essential services before the neighborhood was built, enabling the neighborhood to grow into the service area rather than the services expanding to meet the neighborhood. This is a giant step in the right direction for the authorities to see the importance of neighborhood planning and the impact it can have on services provided to the great people of the area."

After nine months of developing infrastructure in eastern Baghdad, Gayton said he sees the impact of the project in Betoul. "The electrical distribution system in Betoul has changed the lives of all the residents. When we arrived here, this area was one of the first I visited. The project had just started and the residents told me of its importance.

"On every return trip, they remained upbeat and patient, trusting that good things would happen," Gayton continued. "They were rewarded this summer when a special electrical feeder was linked to the distribution network and the system was energized for the very first time."

• Date Taken: 10.26.2005
• Date Posted: 10.26.2005 15:52
• Story ID: 3495
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ