Airport Canals Flow Fresh Water Again
By Staff Sgt. Luke Koladish, 114th Public Affairs Detachment
BAGHDAD — A team from the 364th Civil Affairs Brigade (CAB) stood, July 23, at the edge of an empty canal that disappeared into the horizon. They listened as the diesel back-up generator was fired up, popped, sputtered and then died.
After a few adjustments were made by Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority mechanics, the pumps were primed. Water progressed from a muddy trickle to a steady flow, bringing a satisfying end to a project that started back in April.
"It's good to see they were able to pull everything together and get it working," said Sgt. Thomas Jeffrey Phillips, 364 CAB. "To see all that water barreling out and filling the canal was a pretty good feeling."
More than two months ago, Director General of ICAA, Sabeeh Al Shebany, said the increasing water
"They said the water table beneath the Baghdad International Airport was too high and they thought there might be an issue on our side of the canal system [Victory Base Complex]," Schaffer said.
A series of pumps had been installed as part of a Command Emergency Relief Program project in November 2007 to ensure the water table beneath BIAP did not compromise the integrity of the runway.
The civil affairs team was concerned that those pump stations might be the problem. After a survey of the sites, their suspicions were confirmed.
"The mechanical seals were bad, the control units were covered in dust that causes shorts, back-up diesel pumps were non-operational and there were some holes in the piping system causing a lack of pressure," explained Chief Petty Officer Edward M. Lubas, 364 CAB.
Despite the condition of the equipment, the team decided that with proper maintenance and a few repairs the pumps could be operational again.
"The first part was explaining to the Iraqis they didn't need new equipment, they just need to replace a few parts and maintain what they had," Phillips said.
In subsequent visits Lubas outlined steps for a maintenance program, coordinated with Iraqi engineers what repairs had to be done to get the pumps operational, and formed standard operating procedures.
"They were running the pumps in manual position and with a power grid so unstable once power went out the pumps would shut down and the pressure would bleed out and it wouldn't turn on again."
Part of the new SOP was to keep the pumps running automatically so they would stop when the water reached a certain level, but still keep water in the pipes to keep the system charged and ready to resume as the canals filled.
"I was astonished today how much work they have done to get to the pumps operational, and they did it on their own, with their own parts," Lubas said during the last scheduled visit to the canals.
The water level at the first pump station had already decreased two feet and the water at the second pump station was flowing easily and smoothly. The BIAP canals merge with other canals until they reach the farms needing irrigation.
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