ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Recent power disruptions caused by the shutdown of the Khor Mor gas field have resulted in a 30% reduction in Erbil’s water supply, with affected neighborhoods receiving water for about two fewer hours than usual, the city's water director said on Sunday.
Rabbar Hussein, director of Erbil Water, told Rudaw's Solin Hamadamin that “seventy percent of Erbil has 24 hour water service and the reduction in electricity has no impact on them, but the remaining 30 percent of residents will see a slight reduction in water supply."
The disruption follows a sharp drop in the Kurdistan Region’s power supply after UAE-based Dana Gas company, responsible for powering over 80% of the Region’s electricity, temporarily suspended production in its facilities on Thursday at the Khor Mor field in Chamchamal, east of Sulaimani, citing security threats and escalating regional tensions after a series of drone attacks targeted Erbil and Sulaimani provinces.
Without adequate power, municipal networks are unable to operate electric and jet well pumps to extract water from aquifers and elevate them to water towers.
Hussein explained that the affected neighborhoods are receiving water for roughly two fewer hours than under normal conditions.
"Areas that previously received water for 10 hours every other day are now receiving it for eight hours," he said.
Hussein added that although Erbil's main water projects have dedicated power stations and continue operating, the recent decline in the national power grid has still managed to cause water shortages.
The Kurdistan Region's Ministries of Electricity and Natural Resources said on Friday that the shutdown caused a shortage of around 2,500 megawatts from the Region's power supply.
The ministries said they had tasked a joint team to oversee power distribution and mitigate the gap across the Kurdistan Region's provinces and independent administrations, while a regional electricity control team continues monitoring power generation and transmission.
Officials from all four provinces of the Kurdistan Region told Rudaw that local generators would operate during national grid outages to reduce the impact on residents.
The ministries said they are working to restore production at the Khor Mor gas field as soon as possible and assured residents that household cooking gas provisions remain secure after receiving approval from Iraq's federal oil ministry to meet daily demand.
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