Drinking water outage in some Qamishlo neighborhoods; water department explains reasons

In recent times, several neighborhoods in the city of Qamishlo have been experiencing a complete water outage, exacerbating the residents' hardships. This is particularly acute in the Qadourbek neighborhood—specifically the Teachers' Housing area near Al-Sharq Roundabout—as well as parts of Al-Zaytuniyah and Mahmaqiyah, also among other areas of the city.

To understand the reasons behind the outage—which has left some neighborhoods without water for nearly twenty days ANHA agency spoke with Mahmoud Al-Mahmoud, the Director of the Qamishlo Water Department. He indicated that the core issue stems from several submersible pumps in the city going out of service, compounded by slow repair operations.

The affected areas, which have been without water since the beginning of August, rely on previously drilled artesian wells for their drinking water supply; consequently, any malfunction in the submersible pumps or issues with their power supply directly impact the availability of water for residents.

Organizations Operate Under Specific Systems and Protocols

Al-Mahmoud stated that the maintenance of submersible pumps was previously handled by the Water Directorate when it was part of the Qamishlo People's Municipality. However, the maintenance process has since changed following the Directorate's separation from the municipality—a result of organizational restructuring—and the signing of contracts with organizations to manage the maintenance of these pumps.

The Director of the Qamishlo Water Department noted that these organizations operate according to specific systems and protocols, a factor that often leads to delays in pump repairs.

He added that the Water Department has sent several out-of-service pumps to these organizations for repair and is currently awaiting their restoration to service.

He explained that water pumping networks in several areas rely on the Hilaliyah, Aweija, and Jaqjaq stations, while other areas are directly supplied by networks drawing water from artesian wells; this reliance is the primary reason for water outages when these submersible pumps fail.

Regarding the submersible pump at the Mahmaqiyah well—located near Hamida Taher School—the Water Department Director noted that the unit is currently out of service, and the department is working to repair it in coordination with the contracted organization.

In conclusion, Al-Mahmoud emphasized that the Water Department is striving to resolve water outages in neighborhoods experiencing total service loss by working to bring non-functional pumps back online as quickly as possible.

Sh-S

ANHA