Sweco to improve water supply in Erbil – one of the world’s oldest cities

October 2, 2008 | Press release

Sweco has been awarded a contract to improve the water supply in the city of Erbil, located in a Kurdish area of Iraq. The city dates back to 2500 BC and today has a population of around one million residents. The contract is worth more than EUR 1 million.

The water supply in Erbil is currently plagued by problems such as leaks in the municipal distribution network, which mean that not all drinking water can be utilised. Sweco has been chosen to assist the city’s water company by preparing a business plan and an operating/maintenance plan to address the situation. Sweco will also take a first step toward upgrading the water supply mains.

“We have considerable experience in managing projects of this type, both in Central and Eastern Europe and in countries Jordan and Russia,” says Bertil Lustig, Assignment Manager at Sweco.

Sweco has been commissioned by Qandil, a Swedish non-governmental organisation that provides aid in Iraq through development and rehabilitation programmes including humanitarian assistance. Sida (the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) is funding this project and a number of other initiatives in the region aimed at improving access to water. Qandil has been active in Iraq since 1992.

Attached information

Anna Elisabeth Olsson

Head of Press and Public Affairs