Baghdad municipality says drinking water meets safety standards

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Baghdad Municipality said drinking water produced at the city's treatment plants is safe for human consumption, attributing pollution in the Tigris River to years of accumulated contamination. Municipality spokesman Adil al-Jundail told the Iraqi state news agency that the pollution problem is not new and that the municipality is working with relevant institutions to reduce it. Al-Jundail said population growth and urban expansion have led some residents to connect stormwater lines to the sewer network, allowing wastewater to flow into the Tigris. He added that the municipality is coordinating with the Environment Ministry and health agencies on joint work and that completing wastewater treatment projects will require additional financial allocations. The municipality said a treatment plant in Rustumiya with a daily capacity of 105,000 cubic meters is being prepared for inauguration in the coming days. Design and consultancy work has also been completed for a 351,000-cubic-meter-per-day facility in Buaysa on the Karkh side of the city. Laboratory results for drinking water showed the supply is safe and meets required standards, the municipality said.