Drink up: Tigris River is life for troops in Baghdad

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Russell Wicke
  • 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq (AFPN) --  It is no different now than it ever has been in Baghdad; life is sustained by the Tigris River. This 1,150-mile-long channel of water is known for its swift flow and ancient history -- and every bottle of water in the Victory Base Complex is filled to the brim from this river.

The VBC is home to approximately 50,000 U.S. and coalition combatants. Before April 2006, bottled water was convoyed in from Kuwait, said Bruce Everson, the site manager for the Oasis water bottling factory here.

The Defense Department had a contract that paid about 44 cents per liter of water. Mr. Everson said his factory produces his one-liter bottles for about 30 cents each. That 14-cent difference equates to almost $70,000 in savings every day for the U.S. military. Now, instead of water rolling in from the road, it flows from the Tigris.

"The water we provide results in 20,000 fewer trucks on the road every year," Mr. Everson said.  The Oasis produces nearly 500,000 bottles of water every day for the VBC. 

Airmen at Sather Air Base use approximately 61,000 bottles of that water every week, said Master Sgt. Luann Van Peursem, the 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operations superintendent. That's more than 16,000 gallons.

This water's process, from the Tigris to the end user, is exhaustive, Sergeant Van Peursem said. The Tigris River flows right through Baghdad, and water is channeled directly to the Oasis factory.

Machines melt down thousands of pounds of plastic beads, which are formed into the familiar clear, unlabeled bottles people drink from here, Mr. Everson said. Before they are filled, the water goes through a rigorous cleansing process.

First, chlorine is added, and then it is filtered by reverse osmosis. Compressed oxygen is then injected into the water to kill bacteria. After the oxygen fizzes out, the chlorine is removed from the water, and the water is bottled, wrapped and palletized -- with quality checks done to every lot.

Since its beginning in April 2006, the Oasis has manufactured more than 145 million bottles of water -- that's 38 million gallons.

At the factory, Tech. Sgt. Raymond Ford and Staff Sgt. Richard Bell, both 447th ELRS vehicle operators, pick up about 40 pallets of water three times a week and drive it back to Sather AB. However, before the water is distributed, the Air Force requires one more process to ensure quality. 

Senior Master Sgt. Ralph Long, assigned to the bioenvironmental unit at the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron, quarantines the water for 24 hours while they test samples for E. coli and other bacteria. From there, water is distributed around the base.

Tech. Sgt. Michael Fogle of the 447th Expeditionary Services Squadron ensures all areas in Tent City have water. Airmen from 447th ELRS Vehicle Operations provide water to the dining facility, Air Traffic Operations Center, passenger terminal, security check points and more.

After witnessing this lengthy and meticulous process for supplying water, Sergeant Van Peursem said she's frustrated to see water wasted -- half-full bottles are often abandoned. Sergeant Fogle also said he sees more of this than necessary in recreational areas.

"Very often, people will leave almost-full bottles lying around, and we have to clean up behind them," he said. Sergeant Van Peursem said she sees the same thing in the open field where flag-football is played behind vehicle ops.

"We just ask that people be more accountable for the water they take," she said. "Waste should be avoided."

However, there is certainly no ration on the water provided by the Oasis. For those who are thirsty, the water from the Tigris is free and unlimited. And, according to the book of Genesis in the Bible, it has been that way since early man -- flowing right from the Garden of Eden, free of charge.

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