Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has inaugurated a major drinking water project that will provide clean, reliable water to 53 villages across the districts of Mergasor, Akre, and Khalifan.
The Balinda-Barzan Water Project is expected to serve more than 35,000 residents and help address longstanding water shortages in rural and mountainous communities. The project was developed at a cost of approximately 136.5 billion Iraqi dinars, or more than $105 million.
Speaking at the inauguration, Prime Minister Barzani said the new system is designed to meet the water needs of the communities it serves for the next 20 years. He reaffirmed the Kurdistan Regional Government’s commitment to expanding essential services throughout the Kurdistan Region.
The project draws water from the Ava Sheen River and treats it at a filtration facility in Balinda village in Mergasor district. The facility can produce approximately 1,200 cubic meters of potable water per hour, with water undergoing a full treatment and purification process before distribution.
The regional network extends approximately 540 kilometers and includes 220 kilometers of main transmission pipelines and more than 320 kilometers of local distribution lines. The system is supported by three pumping stations, 24 pumps, and 70 storage reservoirs of varying capacities.
The project will replace the limited and often seasonal water sources on which many residents previously depended. Some villages had relied on tanker deliveries or wells after natural springs and other local sources dried up.
Residents in the beneficiary districts welcomed the completion of the project, noting that reliable access to water will reduce pressure on households and improve daily life. Local officials have also said the project is expected to support agriculture, reconstruction, and the long-term stability of communities in the area.
Construction began in 2013 but was delayed by the conflict with ISIS and the COVID-19 pandemic. Its completion marks a significant expansion of public water infrastructure in the northern Kurdistan Region.
The Balinda-Barzan Water Project is part of the KRG’s broader investment in essential services and infrastructure intended to improve public health, strengthen water security, and support sustainable development across the Kurdistan Region.
