Half the city's water supply down the drain

Disna MUDALIGE

About 47 percent of the water supplied to Colombo city is being wasted, National Water Supply and Drainage Board chairman Karunasena Hettiarachchi told the Daily News yesterday.

He said that water leakages, water thefts, water supplied to low income settlements and administrative and commercial loopholes have contributed to this wastage in Colombo. He said the highest amount of water consumption is in Colombo city due to the high density of population and water connections.

He noted that the national average of water wastage referred to as "non revenue water" in Sri Lanka is about 30 per cent.

He noted the international standard of this rate is 20 to 18 per cent.

He also said that water wastage rate is 20 per cent in Battaramulla and 11 per cent in Maharagama.

He requested the active support of the public to reduce water wastage especially in Colombo.

The chairman also observed that the expenses for water supply has been increasing day by day due to the electricity tariff hike, the depreciation of the rupee, increase in manpower charges and other expenses borne by the Board.

He said that the Board is compelled to increase the water tariff under these circumstances adding that the final decision would be made by the National Water Supply and Drainage and Finance and Planning Ministries.

He also noted that the water tariff has not been increased for the last three years despite the increasing cost of production.