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Iraq’s Ministry of Construction, Housing and Public Municipalities has begun trial operations at the Zankura pilot plant for drainage water treatment in Anbar province, as part of a wider Iraq–UK initiative to develop alternative water resources and address pollution in the Euphrates River.
Zankura is located near the Euphrates river northwest of Anbar’s capital Ramadi.
An Iraqi News Agency (INA) report, quoting the ministry, said the project is being implemented by a consortium led by IHS UK Holding Ltd, a UK-based group specialising in government tenders and infrastructure investment.
The Zankura plant is designed to produce about 86,400 cubic metres per day (m3/day) of treated water, which will be used to support aquaculture projects and the cultivation of mangrove trees to create a green belt in desert areas of Anbar, the INA report said.
Two additional drainage treatment plants — Al-Qarya Al-Asriya and Al-Bourisha — are planned in later phases, each with the same production capacity.
The initiative was first announced in May 2025 and includes pilot desalination and wastewater treatment units in Basra, Diwaniyah, Dhi Qar, Wasit and Anbar.
The project marked Iraq’s first large-scale attempt to convert drainage and sewage water into usable resources amid declining flows in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
On its website, IHS UK Holding said the programme aims to build and operate renewable energy-powered desalination (BWRO and SWRO) plants and sewage treatment to treat non-conventional water sources, with an initial focus on central and southern Iraq.
Other consortium members include UK firms James Cubitt & Partners, Cambridge Energy Partners and Kinetic Power, Iraqi investment company Jidar Al-Asimah, and UAE-based HYCOR Utilities.
The company said the first phase targets production of up to 6.5 million m3/day of treated water in most polluted areas of the country to improve water availability, public health and economic stability.
(Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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