Water project nearly complete in Al Ameen

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

10.26.2005

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

Spc. Ben Brody
2nd Brigade Combat Team PAO

BAGHDAD -- Residents of Al Ameen, a southeastern Baghdad neighborhood, will soon reap the benefits of their first-ever water network, courtesy of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team with construction management by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The $580,000 project is 95 percent done, and is scheduled for completion by Nov. 7.

"This project will provide potable water and fire hydrants to an area that has never had a water network," said Mike Mitchell, a USACE project engineer coordinating the project.

Mitchell said residents previously had to buy water that was trucked into the area.

"The water project complements a recently-completed sewer and paving project in a neighboring mahalla," said Capt. Ruth Levy of 2nd BCT. "The brigade's goal is to spread the projects throughout the neighborhoods to maximize the number of Iraqi citizens who see a tangible improvement in their lives."

Mitchell and Levy coordinate between all interested parties to assure the completion of the project, including the Baghdad Water Authority, 2nd BCT, the Al Ameen Neighborhood Advisory Council, a project contractor, quality assurance inspectors, and the USACE headquarters.

Local laborers have laid about eight kilometers of ductile iron pipes that should last around 50 years, Mitchell said. Pipes leading to individual residences are made of PVC.

"Each home in Al Ameen will have a spigot installed on their property, which is time-consuming but worth it," Mitchell said. "If we didn't hook every house up, people would just break the pipes and make their own connections. It's in our best interest to do it this way."

Mitchell relies on local quality-assurance inspectors from an agency that hires well-trained Iraqi engineers to report on quality issues. The brigade's infrastructure cell also routinely sends engineer patrols to talk with local residents about the project and its impact on their lives.

"The QA guys are my eyes and ears on the ground," Mitchell said. "They bring me photos of the project's progress and make sure the work is done to the highest standard."

Atheer Mohammed, a QA inspector who works with Mitchell, is a graduate of Baghdad's University of Technology and is a civil engineer by trade.

"I make sure the safety requirements are met, and the work and materials are up to specifications," Mohammed said. "I double-check Mike's designs before the project starts and do what I can to help."

Mohammed said the project will help modernize Al Ameen and pave the way for further development.

"The water network in Al Ameen will raise property values, and help the economy," Mohammed said. "People feel good about the future when they have the basic necessities of life."

• Date Taken: 10.26.2005
• Date Posted: 10.26.2005 13:32
• Story ID: 3483
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ