It's the Smell...

Since the weather has really heated up, we have noticed an awful smell coming from the famous and mighty Tigris River. The river is a polluted with wastewater, sewage and who knows what else. There are locals that fish in the river and eat what they catch. I cannot fathom eating anything that lives in the river. The smell is so foul that I have to cover my moth and nose sometimes as I return to my room from a long shift at work.

Many of the Iraqis do not see a difference in regular wastewater, which is like runoff from car washes, rain (when there is any), watering, leaking hydrants, etc. and actual sewage from sinks, tubs, and toilets. It's a pretty gross concept by Western standards.