ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Authorities have suspended water distribution in the district of Koya east of Erbil, after the detection of crude oil contamination in the Little Zab River, affecting over 100,000 people, local officials said Tuesday.
"The distribution of clean water has been halted in Koya for the safety of citizens,” the head of the Koya Water Directorate, Hogar Kaifi, told Rudaw. He added that other districts and subdistricts in the area have also been impacted.
Kaifi explained that the contamination occurred when "someone washed a crude oil tanker in the water source," causing the water to take on an oil-like odor. The pollution was initially reported when owners of artificial fish ponds along the river noticed their fish dying and noted a strong smell of oil in the water.
The contamination affected a portion of the Little Zab River. To prevent polluted water from reaching homes, authorities immediately halted water distribution. Kaifi reassured that stored water in household tanks remains clean and is being preserved for future use.
Officials plan to test the water again once the smell dissipates to ensure it is safe, but Kaifi noted that there is no set timeline for when distribution will resume.
The suspension of water distribution has impacted over 100,000 residents of Koya district, according to Kaifi.
Earlier in the day, Salam Omar, head of the Raparin Water Directorate told Rudaw that water levels in the Kurdistan Region’s Raparin administration east of Erbil are already declining. While some residents of the area rely on the Little Zab for their water supply, the contamination has remained far from their areas, so they have not been affected.
Omar also pointed out that while Iran has not restricted the flow of the Little Zab River this year, dams in its western Kurdish areas (Rojhelat) are below capacity. This is contributing to reduced water levels flowing into the Kurdistan Region.
The Little Zab River originates in northwestern Iran’s Zagros Mountain range and follows a roughly 400-kilometer-long course, marking a stretch of the border before entering the Kurdistan Region, where it fills the Dukan reservoir and eventually flows into the Tigris River. Iran has been damming the river since 2011.
According to the United Nations, Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, including water and food insecurity. The country faces a severe water shortage exacerbated by reduced rainfall, rising temperatures, and waste mismanagement.
Scorching temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius are regularly recorded in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region during the summer, coupled with water scarcity, desertification, and reduced rainfall.
The World Resources Institute has listed Iraq among the 25 countries facing extreme water stress, meaning that it is using over 80 percent of its available supply of water and is at risk of running out of water in case of any short-term drought.