Despite resumption of pumping, Alouk water dose not reached all neighborhoods in Hasaka

Water from the Alouk station has not yet reached all neighborhoods of Hasaka city, despite the resumption of pumping on July 22. Residents continue to suffer from drinking water shortages and a lack of supply in many areas, forcing them once again to rely on purchasing water from private tankers.

Basman Al-Kayan, a resident of the Al-Nashwa neighborhood in Hasaka, explained to ANHA agency: "We were overjoyed when water from the Alouk station reached the city. It helped alleviate the burdens residents were facing due to the high cost of water delivered by tanker trucks—where the price for 1,000 liters had reached around 50,000 Syrian pounds—as well as the difficulty of obtaining water amidst the region's drought crisis."

Al-Kayan noted, however, that water has not reached all neighborhoods in the city due to repeated breaks and encroachments on water lines. He called on the relevant authorities to find urgent solutions to ensure water reaches all residents.

 Encroachments halted pumping for three days.

For his part, Engineer Farhan Al-Oweis, Director General of the Hasaka Governorate Drinking Water and Sanitation Company, stated: "The rehabilitation and maintenance process for the Alouk station—the primary lifeline supplying Hasaka Governorate—began months ago."

Al-Oweis explained: "Following the announcement of the Alouk station's opening, the water pipelines were subjected to acts of tampering, forcing the establishment to halt pumping operations for three days."

He added: "The main transmission line has a diameter of approximately 1,200 mm. It requires two to three days to be completely drained of water before maintenance and repairs can be carried out, which necessitated a temporary suspension of pumping."

Test Pumping: Detecting Wrongs, Not Just Supplying Water

Al-Oweis noted that water pumping resumed on July 28. He clarified that the objective of the test pumping was not merely to supply residents with drinking water; rather, the primary goal was to identify wrongs and breaks within the water network and to prepare the necessary studies to address them.

Farhan Al-Oweis stated: "We cannot pinpoint the instances of tampering and faults without continuous pumping, as the primary purpose of this test phase is not to supply residents with water, but to inventory, maintain, and study the wrongs and breaks present in the lines."

The Director General explained that the establishment is dealing with a water network that is largely an unknown quantity; water has not flowed through it for seven years, and it has not been used by residents during that period. Furthermore, the city has undergone significant urban changes—including neighborhood expansion, the construction of new residential stories, and road projects—that have impacted the network's layout. Farhan Al-Oweis confirmed that the directorate lacks a clear, accurate map of the water network in the city of Hasaka; consequently, specialized teams are working—concurrently with trial pumping operations—to create an up-to-date map of the network spanning the city, which will serve as a reference for future maintenance and development work.

Villages and Towns Served by the Alouk Station

Al-Oweis noted that all villages previously served by the Alouk station’s main transmission line are currently receiving water; this includes the town of Tel Tamr and various villages situated along the water pipeline route.

However, the service from the Alouk station does not extend to every village in the Tel Tamr area—only those located along the specific transmission line running from the station.

Regarding the city of Hasaka, Farhan Al-Oweis explained that water has reached most neighborhoods, with the exception of those affected by breaks in the main supply lines. He confirmed that pumping to these areas would resume immediately once the repairs are completed.

Many Neighborhoods Still Awaiting Water

Despite the resumption of pumping, water from the Alouk station has yet to reach many streets in neighborhoods such as Al-Aziziyah, Al-Salhiyah, Khashman, Tel Hajar, Al-Mufti, Al-Dahiya, Al-Nasirah, Al-Kallasah, Kababa, Ghuwayran, Al-Nashwa, and Al-Mushairfah, due to numerous breaks in the main lines supplying these areas.

Neighborhoods Lacking Networks

Regarding streets and neighborhoods that currently lack water lines or networks, Al-Oweis stated: "These areas require detailed studies and the preparation of clear bills of quantities. This serves as a precursor to either having the Establishment itself execute network extension projects or presenting the plans to organizations and donor agencies to carry out the expansion of the Hasaka water network."

Farhan Al-Oweis added: "While this task is primarily the government's responsibility, the Establishment is still in the phase of building and establishing a network database; it does not yet possess complete or clear information regarding the current state of the network across the governorate."

No Clear Timeline for Repairing All Faults

Regarding the timeframe required to supply water to all Hasaka neighborhoods and repair faults, Al-Oweis explained: "This depends on the extent of the breaks and malfunctions, as well as the time needed to conduct a comprehensive study of the network."

Al-Oweis emphasized that the Establishment insists on allowing sufficient time for trial pumping. This enables engineers and technicians to accurately characterize the network, prepare bills of quantities, and develop clear plans. These steps are essential to eventually transforming the initiative into a fully integrated engineering project eligible for funding from the Ministry of Energy and active organizations.

Al-Oweis noted that the ultimate responsibility for preparing studies and seeking funding through the Ministry of Energy rests with the Drinking Water and Sanitation Establishment. He explained that this is an investment project requiring time and study before it can be included in the Ministry's budgets.

Al-Hol City Service Interrupted Due to Station Malfunctions

Regarding the southern cities, Al-Oweis explained that Al-Hol is among the cities supplied by the Alouk station; however, three stations along the supply line remain out of service. These will be included in the Ministry of Energy’s proposed investment plan for 2027 to secure the necessary funding for their rehabilitation.

12 Pumps at the Station; 7 Require Maintenance

Al-Oweis revealed that the Alouk station is currently operating with only five horizontal pumps, while seven others remain idle and require maintenance—out of a total of 12 pumps at the facility.

Farhan Al-Oweis explained: "When the station’s opening was announced, it operated using 19 wells. Despite ongoing maintenance by technical teams in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), some wells frequently go out of service due to aging equipment, only to be returned to operation after rehabilitation."

Al-Oweis added: "The Ministry of Energy has a plan to replace all worn-out equipment—including submersible well pumps and horizontal pumps—as some units have undergone maintenance up to ten times and now require complete replacement."

He noted a joint plan involving the Ministry of Energy, UNICEF, and the ICRC to replace old equipment with new units. While this process may take several months, current efforts are focused on maintaining water pumping operations using the available equipment.

Engineer Farhan Al-Oweis, Director General of the Drinking Water and Sewage Company in Hasaka Governorate, promised residents that the prolonged service outages experienced in recent years would not recur. He noted that while brief interruptions lasting a few days might occur due to maintenance work, they would not match the duration of past outages.

Al-Oweis added: "Once maintenance on the entire station is complete, a regular pumping schedule for the governorate's neighborhoods will be implemented. However, current conditions necessitate a water rationing system; a meeting has been held to determine pumping days, and the schedule will be announced and communicated to residents."

Dividing Hasaka into Five Supply Sectors

Al-Oweis explained that Hasaka city has been tentatively divided into five sectors for water distribution during the trial pumping phase. The first sector comprises the neighborhoods of Ghuwayran, Layliyah, Al-Zuhour, the southern clusters, and Khashman. The second sector includes Al-Aziziyah, Al-Tala'i, and Al-Ghazl, while the third sector covers Al-Salihiyah, Al-Mufti, and Al-Dahiya.

The fourth sector encompasses the city center, Tal Hajar, the Al-Askary, Al-Muradiyan, Al-Mushayrifah, Al-Kababa, Al-Ma'ishiyah, Al-Nasirah, Al-Kallasah, Al-Omran, and the western clusters.

The fifth sector in Hasaka city includes the neighborhoods of Western Al-Nashwa, Al-Shariyah, Al-Filat, and the Youth Housing complex.

Al-Oweis emphasized that this division is currently in a trial phase, and the test pumping period will determine its effectiveness and the possibility of future adjustments.

Sh-S

ANHA