Erbil to drill new well to fight drought-induced water scarcity

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – As the Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil grapples with water scarcity exacerbated by a record drought, officials plan to drill new wells to supply residents with much-needed water.

Drought conditions this year have already caused water shortages in some parts of the provincial capital not supplied with necessary potable water. The issue has been made worse by the scorching summer heat.

Officials in the capital plan to drill new wells and repair existing water sources, Erbil province’s deputy governor Masoud Karash told Kurdistan 24 on Thursday.

Karash said the authorities are working with owners of neighborhood generators to supply sufficient electricity to water wells during public power outages.

Recent floods in neighboring Turkey have squeezed one of the main water supplies to the Kurdistan Region, the Great Zab River, on which Erbil is particularly reliant. Authorities had to halt the supply of water temporarily until the water returned to a safe drinking level.

The Kurdish capital’s neighborhoods rely on wells and water treatment plants to process fresh water from the Zab River. The city intends to add a fourth plant to address the water shortages.