SPU Organized a Scientific Symposium on The Assessment Of Quality Of Drinking Water In Sulaimani City

Directorate of water in Sulaimani confirmed that the drinking water of the city is healthful and drinkable as well as adequate the needs of the citizens , despite the challenges that Kurdistan region faced in terms of financial crisis and the increase in population by average of 30% as a result of receiving thousands of displaced people from south and middle of Iraq as well as Syria academics , researchers proved that the drinking water in the city within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization WHO, and called to keep the environment in general and water sources in particular through establishing projects of recycling, not throwing of waste or pollutants in the water sources , and requiring productive laboratories and municipal authorities to address their waste before disposal.

This was discussed during the symposium organized on Wednesday in 3/6/ 2015), in Piramerd Hall in the presidency of SPU, in the presence of SPU president, Dr. Alan Faraydoon, and vice president ,lecturers as well as number of the staff and students of the university.

The symposium started with a speech delivered by Dr.Hakim (Dean of Technical College),through which he assured that the university keen to build bridges with the community and Directorates of services,” noting that “the symposium was a result of a joint research of specialists from the university in collaboration with the Directorate of water of Sulaimani.

Then Director of water (Sarbast Othman Qader) said, the Directorate is doing its best to secure drinking water for the people, despite the problems and challenges that faces them in terms of economic crises and the increase of population number to nearly 800 thousand people, moreover receiving of nearly 350 000of the displaced, at the same time the Water distribution networks is not commensurate with the steady development of the city.

Sarbast , also added that ” the department is planning to implement a project of transferring water to the all the districts of Sulaimani , and equip them with water steadily and continuously if the required budget is available , “he continued that” the Governor of Sulaimani , Dr. Aso Faraydoon ,pledged to provide them with three billion dinars , to modernize the water pipes of Sulaimani in coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government . ”

He also stressed that the importance of “rationalizing water consumption and not polluting the water sources, is a priority to maintain safety and health.

Vice president for scientific affairs Dr.Nasih Othman Karadaghi , a specialist in epidemiology , added, that the drinking water pose a major source of transmission of diseases , especially epidemic such as diarrhea , cholera, typhoid and other , and the same time chemical aspects of water such as arsenic , lead , fluoride , may be dangerous source if exceeded the permitted average of the World Health Organization (WHO) “adding ,” but fortunately that drinking water quality in Sulaymani was within allowable limits of WHO. also added ,that “the individual consumption of water for drinking or other life purpose, is approximately hundred liters per day, besides he called for providing water for the people with necessary quality and quantity, and emphasized on the maintenance of the water network starting from the source up to the citizens.

Director of quality control, a chemical engineer Feridun Mohiuddin Mohammedsaid, that the directorate maintaining the quality of drinking water is their main responsibility, stressing that ” the directorate is ready to deal with any emergency or malfunction of the quality immediately especially that their laboratories equipped with the latest hardware and equipment necessary to do so.

Director of Health and safety (Mr.Faisal Abdullah) stated , that the result of the research implemented by specialist from SPU, and Directorate of water, who Carried out the tests on the 3411 samples taken from the first and second projects of Dukan , and Lake of Dukan , and Srchinar , cabinets of major water in Sulaymani , as well as other models of reservoirs in citizens’ houses , for the period from the first of January to the 30th of December 2014 ” , showed that the chemical and physical analyzes carried out in laboratories Water Department Sulaymaniyah , for the 2342 sample water , to ensure compliance with the standards and limits by the World Health Organization WHO, confirmed that the drinking water in sulaimani is drinkable , with some variation in the quality , but the sample taken from the Dokan region was the best among research samples .

The Director of Health and Safety added , that the research team conducted tests on 1069 other water sample to make sure of their safety and suitability for human consumption ,showed thatthe results of analyzes of water sources and projects liquidation was good and proven suitability for human consumption ,while the research team founded that 35 samples were obtained from citizens some of them taken from wells in their homes , constitute increase of 3.3 percent , were not matching the standards of the World Health Organization , to contain the types of harmful bacteria that cause many of the symptoms , especially E.COLI ” .

Meanwhile ,the president of SPU,Assist Prof D. Alan said, “The Symposium is an extension to the series activities carried out by the university for the development of the community and the preserving of the environment and safety as a factor for sustainable development basis ” , pointing out that the symposium comes complementary to those held by the University under the title ( oil production and the environment in Kurdistan ) , in ( the 14th of May / May 2015 ) . also he asked forintensifying awareness on the importance of preserving the general environment and water which is the lifeblood of any community, stressing onimposing Kurdistan region companies to allocate special budgets for environmental activity in order to preserve the nature of the region which is of course ” priceless .”