In its ongoing mission to serve the visitors of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali has undertaken extensive efforts to provide cold, clean water to millions of pilgrims through an advanced and carefully managed distribution network.
The shrine’s engineering departments have installed hundreds of modern water-cooling units throughout the inner courtyards, entrances, and outer precincts of the sacred sanctuary, ensuring continuous and easy access to drinking water for pilgrims around the clock.
A Network of Continuous Service
Speaking to the Shrine’s News Center, Engineer Fadel al-Tabatabai, Head of the Water Production Unit at the Holy Shrine, explained:
“Within the inner courtyards alone, 25 marble coolers are installed, each equipped with three taps — providing 75 access points for pilgrims to drink fresh, cold water day and night. On regular days, the total daily consumption reaches nearly 100,000 liters of chilled water.”
He added that the unit maintains strict supervision over the system’s operation and maintenance, employing advanced cooling and sterilization technologies to ensure purity and safety. The distribution network is designed to handle peak visitation periods, providing immediate access even during times of heavy crowding.
Enhanced Capacity During Pilgrimage Seasons
Al-Tabatabai further noted that during major pilgrimage seasons, additional mobile cooling stations and storage tanks are activated, raising the total daily capacity to more than two million liters. This large-scale operation is coordinated closely with the Shrine’s service and engineering departments to ensure uninterrupted delivery.
Engineer Aqeel Burhan Rasul, Head of the Mechanical Division at the Engineering and Construction Department, highlighted the scale of the infrastructure:
“More than 500 marble water coolers are distributed throughout the Shrine — 78 inside the holy precinct, 144 in the Courtyard of Lady Umm al-Baneen (peace be upon her), and 264 around the entrances. Together, they pump about 100,000 liters of cold water daily, a figure that rises to over two million liters during peak pilgrimage events.”
Modern Infrastructure for a Sacred Service
He added that the traditional use of plastic containers has been replaced by a modern Service Tunnel Project, launched in 1385 AH. The tunnel, seven meters wide, runs around the perimeter of the Shrine and houses essential utilities such as water, electricity, and communication lines. Through this system, purified drinking water is delivered to the coolers via four main outlets located at the Shrine’s corners. The project was officially inaugurated in 1387 AH, coinciding with the blessed night of the Prophet’s Ascension (Miraj).
Regular maintenance and inspection of the underground network — stretching over one kilometer — are conducted by the Shrine’s Water Purification Unit to ensure the smooth and sanitary flow of water to every distribution point.
