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Water Treatment Center - Final Report

water filtration plant
The Bodeja Water Treatment Plant, rehabilitated by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Life for Relief and Development, serves more than 3,000 people in several villages and five schools.

Completed in September 2002, the rehab work cost $33,750 and was paid for by the Campaign of Conscience. Life for Relief and Development handled on-the-ground work in Iraq and arranged for licenses from the UN and United States.

The water treatment plant is located in Bodeja Village in the province of Diyalah, northeast of Baghdad. It is an area to which many refugees fled from Baghdad to escape bombings in 1991. It is an agricultural region known as “the citrus basket of Iraq.”

The plant was established in 1981 but broke down during the 1990s, when replacement parts for repairs could not be purchased. That was due to economic sanctions imposed by the UN after the 1991 Gulf war. The plant has the capacity to treat 250,000 gallons of water per day. It takes its water from a canal of the Diyalah River. Reconstruction was guided by Iraqi engineers and used local labor. All materials were purchased in Iraq. This approach put money into the local economy, helping people earn for their families as they themselves made the improvements to provide clean water for their communities.

Rehabilitation included repairing, replacing or adding mechanical and electrical parts, cleaning and repairing filters and sediment pools, and reconstructing all related buildings. To coordinate the rehabbing, Life did an initial inspection, listing all the items to be repaired in the presence of the plant supervisor and an engineer from the department of water and sanitation.

Life then called for bids and chose the most reliable and affordable contractor. Work commenced in July 2002, and the Iraq government inspected and approved the job in the following November. During the warranty period, Life’s engineer will visit the plant and consult with the supervisor to make sure it is operating smoothly.

river bank
The Bodeja Water Treatment Plant will help build a bridge of friendship between the people of the United States and the people of Iraq. It is only one part of the Campaign of Conscience, but a very important one.

This was the third phase of an ongoing project in the Campaign. In earlier phases, water purification equipment was shipped to Iraq, beginning in fall 2000. In the United States, the Campaign works to educate the public about how U.S. policy affects Iraqis and how to advocate for change. The Campaign is a joint effort of the AFSC, Fellowship of Reconciliation, and Pax Christi. Nearly 200 organizations and faith communities, including more than 100 Friends meetings and churches, have joined or supported the Campaign.

The AFSC Campaign of Conscience calls for nonviolent solutions to international conflict with the Iraq government and for an end to economic sanctions. During the past twelve years, sanctions have led to near-total breakdown in economic, medical, social, and educational systems in Iraq, causing shortages of food, medicine, and clean water. These have resulted directly and indirectly in hundreds of thousands of deaths.

To find out more about the Campaign of Conscience for the Iraqi People please visit the campaign website.

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