Pakistan: Around 79% water supply schemes supplying unsafe water

Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) revealed on Thursday that water from 79 percent of sources of the functional Water Supply Schemes (WSS) in Punjab was unsafe for drinking purposes. Around 40 percent of these schemes were unsafe due to microbiological contamination, while about 23 percent contained major pollutants like total dissolved solids, chloride, sodium, iron, arsenic and fluoride, which caused diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery etc. According to a report titled ‘Technical Assessment of WSS’ by PCRWR, 31 percent of the schemes in Punjab were over 25 years old, 23 percent were between 20-25 years old, 16 percent were 15-20 years old while 30 percent schemes were 10-15 years old. Spokesperson PCRWR Lubna Naheed told APP that most of the schemes had used G1 and AC pipes for their distribution system, the useful life of which were less than 20 years. She said that WSS should be properly planned, constructed and maintained so that pollution in the system could not occur. “The performance of water treatment should also be checked periodically by the management team and concerned authorities,” said Lubna. The survey showed that awareness regarding safe water was very limited in the general public as well as among managers of supply schemes. Lubna said that measures were required to improve management of schemes and revenue collection procedures to increase income and make the scheme financially sustainable. “Water theft and wastage through leakages should be properly monitored and remedial actions are required to minimize leakages and wastage of water in timely manner,” she said.