Erbil hosts Iraq’s largest water project
Shafaq News – Erbil
Erbil has become home to Iraq’s largest water infrastructure project, supplying drinking water to six million people across the Kurdistan Region, Director General of Water and Sewage Directorate, Ari Ahmed told Shafaq News on Sunday.
In 2025, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet under Prime Minister Masrour Barzani inaugurated a rapid water pumping system capable of delivering 20,000 cubic meters per hour—marking the most significant upgrade to date.
To sustain operations, the KRG allocates approximately 500 billion Iraqi dinars ($382M) annually to the sector, which employs over 12,000 workers across the Region.
Erbil’s water network extends more than 4,000 kilometers. Ahmed noted that the city’s first water system was established in 1934 at the historic citadel, with major expansions implemented in 1968, 1983, and 2006.
The Region now operates 5,800 wells—1,380 of them within Erbil. These currently supply 320,000 cubic meters of groundwater daily, alongside 324,000 cubic meters of treated water delivered to the city’s nearly two million residents.
While the global benchmark for water supply is around 250 liters per person per day, Erbil provides approximately 400 liters per capita. Ahmed also revealed that average well depths have increased sharply over the years, from 80–120 meters in the past to between 550 and 600 meters today.
