The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has resumed work on a water treatment project in Basrah Province that had been suspended last year for security reasons.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has resumed work on a water treatment project in Basrah Province. The job had been suspended last year for security reasons. One of seven USACE water projects in the province, the Al-Zierji project is being built at a cost of $1.2 million and is expected to provide clean drinking water for more than 20,000 Iraqis.

Residents of Al-Zierji, a town located in the northern part of Basrah Province, “Soon will have fresh potable water pumped into their homes,” says Dan Foltz, resident engineer with the Basrah-area office of USACE’s Gulf Region South district.

USACE began the Al-Zierji project in late 2005, but had to halt work last year due to security concerns. At that time, the project was about 85 percent complete. Work resumed in January. USACE has linked all the interconnecing pipe work between the plant and the town water network, and two new elevated storage reservoirs have been installed to provide potable water that’s  treated with ultra-sonic technology.

Foltz says the Al-Zierji project is providing local jobs, as well as promising clean water for local residents. He adds that this and other Corps of Engineers projects that have been completed and are under construction have positively impacted the region and will benefit the area “for decades to come.”