Tartus: Water Authority Completes Dam Maintenance for Rainy Season
The Water Resources Directorate in Tartus Governorate has announced the completion of all periodic maintenance works for dams and reservoirs under its jurisdiction. These efforts are part of ongoing preparations for the winter rainy season, aimed at ensuring the efficiency of water infrastructure in managing resources and mitigating flood risks.
Engineer Mohammad Mehrez, Director of Water Resources in Tartus, stated that the directorate oversees four strategic dams designated for irrigation and drinking water supply. These include the Abrash Dam, which has a storage capacity of 103 million cubic meters; the Khalifa Dam, with a capacity of 3 million cubic meters; the Sourani Dam, holding 4.5 million cubic meters; and the Dreikish Dam, with a capacity of 6 million cubic meters.
According to the directorate, maintenance activities involved thorough inspections of control gates, spillways, discharge outlets, and electrical control panels. Teams also verified the readiness of rainwater drainage systems to handle expected inflows. Mehrez noted that current water reserves in these dams support groundwater replenishment and overall water availability. He added that the region’s open coastal hydrological basins typically direct surplus water toward the sea via rivers and natural channels.
Engineer Karim Al-Mouei, manager of the Abrash Dam, confirmed that technical teams have completed all necessary maintenance requirements. This included testing gates, servicing bottom outlets, and checking measurement and monitoring instruments. Al-Mouei emphasized that the teams adhere to precise technical protocols to monitor dam safety, which include measuring water levels in piezometric wells, tracking settlement and displacement, and monitoring seepage, drainage flow, and water turbidity.
These measurements are conducted periodically and documented in monthly reports. Al-Mouei stated that all recorded technical indicators remain within safe design limits, confirming that the dam facilities are prepared to handle heavy rainfall, whether by storing inflows when needed or by gradually discharging excess water through spillways.
These efforts follow a series of preventive measures implemented by the Water Resources workshops, most recently the cleaning and clearing of water culverts completed at the end of October. Specifically, work was conducted on the Wadi al-Hedda channel at its intersection with public roads in the Yahmour municipality sector. These measures are intended to improve rainwater drainage and prevent water accumulation, ensuring smooth traffic flow and protecting infrastructure and property throughout the upcoming winter season.
Source: Syria Focus Arabic
