SOURCES AND FOULABILITY OF DRINKING WATER IN KUWAIT

File: 950811_0169pgv_00d.txt
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Filename:0169pgv.00d

[   (b)(2)   ]

30 SEP  1505  [   (b)(6)   ]

SUBJECT:   SOURCES AND FOULABILITY OF DRINKING WATER IN KUWAIT
[   (b)(2)   ]

WATER SOURCES: KUWAIT IS OVERWHELMINGLY (90.5 PERCENT) DEPENDENT 
ON
DESALINATION PLANTS TO PROVIDE ITS FRESH WATER SUPPLY.  WATER IS 
BLENDED WITH BRACKISH GROUND WATER (9.4 PERCENT) AND FRESH GROUND 
WATER (0.1 PERCENT) TO IMPROVE TASTE AND EXTEND TOTAL POTABLE 
SUPPLY TO AN ESTIMATED DAILY PRODUCTION OF 195 MILLION US GALLONS. 
 A SECOND INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTION NETWORK PROVIDES
BRACKISH WATER FOR USE IN IRRIGATION, INDUSTRY, FIRE FIGHTING, 
SANITARY SYSTEMS, AND AS A SUPPLEENTARY "FEEDSTOCK"  FOR 
DESALINATION PLANTS AS NEEDED.

DISTRIBUTION:  WATER FROM DESALINATION PLANTS AND WELLS
IS PUMPED TO UNDERGROUND RESERVOIRS THEN TO DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS
AND ELEVATED TOWERS TO MEET PEAK DEMAND.  MOST PIPELINES ARE 50 TO 
300-MM IN DIAMETER WITH MAIN LINES USING DUCTILE CEMENT PANELLED 
PIPES.  MUCH OF THE REST OF THE POTABLE SYSTEM USES EITHER 
ASBESTOS OR STEEL COATED PIPES.  MOST OF THE BRACKISH USES 
U.P.V.C. PIPES.  THE LENGTH OF BOTH NETWORKS TOTAL MORE THAN 00 
KILOMETERS.

STORAGE: TOTAL FRESH WATER STORAGE CAPACITY IS ESTIMATED TO BE 
2,072 MILLION US GALLONS, DEPENDING ON USAGE RESTRICTIONS THIS IS 
A 20-120 DAY SUPPLY.

DESALINATION PLANTS:  A TOTAL OF SIX DESALINATION PLANTS AT FOUR 
LOCATIONS PROVIDE NEARLY ALL OF KUWAIT'S DESALINATION CAPACITY. 
THERE ARE ALSO A FEW SMALL PRIVATE OIL COMPANY DESALINATION PLANTS 
WHICH PRODUCE 4-6 MILLION US GALLONS PER DAY FOR INDUSTRIAL USE.  
LISTED BELOW ARE THE PRIMARY DESALINATION PLANTS IN INCREASING 
ORDER OF IMPORTANCE.

ASH SHUWAYKH, INSTALLED CAPACITY (1990 ESTIMATE) OF 38.4 MILLION
[   (b)(2)   ] US GALLONS PER DAY OR ABOUT 12.2 PERCENT OF TOTAL
CAPACITY.

RAS AZ ZAWR, INSTALLED CAPACITY (1990 ESTIMATE) OF 57.6 MILLION
[   (b)(2)   ] US GALLONS PER DAY OR ABOUT 18.3 PERCENT OF TOTAL  
CAPACITY.

ASH SHURAYBAH, INSTALLED CAPACITY (1990 ESTIMATE) OF 52.8 MILLION
[   (b)(2)   ] US GALLONS PER DAY OR ABOUT 16.7 PERCENT OT TOTAL
NORTH AND SOUTH PLANTS CAPACITY.

DOHA, INSTALLED CAPACITY (1990 ESTIMATE) OF 166.8 [   (b)(2)   ]  
 MILLION US GALLONS OR ABOUT 52.3 PERCENT OF TOTAL
(EAST AND WEST CAPACITY.


ADDITIONAL SOURCES: IRAQ WAS TO HAVE COMPLETED (30 SEPTEMBER 1990)
CONSTRUCTION OF A POTABLE WATER PIPELINE FROM THE SHATT AL ARAB 
RIVER IN SOUTHERN IRAQ TO KUWAIT CITY.  [      (b)(1) sec 
1.3(a)(4)    ] CONFIRMS THE LAYING OF A SURFACE PIPELINE DURING 
SEPTEMBER.  THE COMPLETED PIPELINE REPORTEDLY CONSISTS OF 100 
KILOMETERS OF 400-MM DIAMETER PIPES, 40 RESERVOIRS, AND TWO 
PUMPING STATIONS.  WHILE THE PROJECT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR SOME 
TIME BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF KUWAIT AND IRAQ, THE RAPID 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT INDICATES THAT THE WATER IS INTENDED 
AS A BACKUP AND/OR ALTERNATE SUPPLY SYSTEM TO KUWAIT'S 
DESALINATION PLANTS.  THE PIPELINE WILL APPABNTLY  BE ABLE TO 
SUPPLY MOST, IF NOT ALL OF IRAQ' S OCCUPATION FORCES IN KUWAIT.  
KUWAIT HAS l3 EMERGENCY USE ONLY REVERSE OSMOSIS UNITS, BUT
THEIR STATUS AND LOCATIONS ARE UNKNOWN.

WATER SUPPLY VULNERABILITIES:  DESPITE EXTENSIVE DESIGN CAPACITY 
AND REDUNDANCY, KUWAIT'S FRESH WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM IS VULNERABLE 
TO INTERRUPTION.  DESTRUCTION OF CENTRALIZED COMPUTER CONTROL 
FACILITIES NEAR ASH SHUWAYKH (EXACT LOCATION UNKNOWN) COULD AT 
LEAST SIGNIFICANTLY DOWNGRADE THE DISTRIBUTION AND STORAGE 
CAPABILITIES AND REQUIRE EXTENSIVE MANUAL OPERATION OF VALVES AND 
PUMPING FACILITIES.  DESALINATION PLANTS ARE HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO 
DESTRUCTION/DAMAGE BY VARIOUS MEANS DUE TO THEIR CONCENTRATION, 
COMPLEXITY, AND DEPENDENCE ON INTEGRATED POWER STATIONS.  
FEEDWATER IS RELATIVELY EASY TO CONTAMINATE WITH POLLUTANTS SUCH 
AS OIL.  A SHORTAGE OF CHEMICALS AND NEW IRAQI AND PALESTINIAN 
PLANT OPERATORS IS CURRENTLY LIMITING WATER PRODUCTION AND 
QUALITY.  THE NEW IRAQI WATER PIPELINE AND PUMPING STATIONS ARE 
VERY VULNERABLE TO INTERRUPTION OR DESTRUCTION.

WATER SUPPLY FACILITIES: [   (b)(2)   ] LISTS MOST OF THE KNOWN
LOCATIONS OF WATER SUPPLY FACILITIES IN KUWAIT, WITH THE EXCEPTION 
OF RELATIVELY NEW PROJECTS AND WELL FIELDS.

PRODUCED BY: DIA [   (b)(2)   ]
30 SEPTEMBER 1990
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