Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Regional Government is fast-tracking a $479 million water infrastructure project in Erbil to ease mounting pressure on the city's overstretched supply system, according to a statement.

The project, now over 75% complete, is designed to transfer 480,000 cubic meters of water per day from the Greater Zab River to around 1.5 million residents. Full operation is scheduled by the end of 2025.

Erbil currently draws 60% of its supply from three treatment plants, with the remainder extracted from over 1,700 wells. However, officials have raised concerns about the strain on aquifers and the urgent need to transition toward more sustainable surface water sources.

During a site visit on Tuesday, Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani labeled the development essential to the capital’s water security, and instructed officials to begin building a wastewater recycling system to protect existing resources.

In response to regional supply strains, Barzani endorsed a separate initiative to channel water from the Little Zab River to Qushtapa and surrounding areas, to "expand capacity and mitigate future demand shocks."