Oil contamination; water supply disrupted again

28 August 2015 08:54 am

The water supply to Colombo, Sri Jayawardanepura Kotte and Dehiwala-Mt Lavinia was disrupted today after the water in the Kelani River was found to have been contaminated with oil, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) said.

The contamination had resulted in the Ambatale water treatment plant being forced to limit the supply of water.

The NWSDB said it hoped to resume the supply of water as soon as the contamination of the river was cleared up.

Meanwhile, NWSDB Deputy General Manager Ranjith Perera said the pumping of water from the Ambatale water treatment plant was stopped at 9.45 a.m. until 1.30 p.m. because of oil patches detected in the Kelani River.

He said the water board in collaboration with the Navy and Army was taking measures to flush out the oil patches.

“The oil patches appear to have surfaced again following the heavy rainfall. We are trying to figure out the origin of the oil patches,” he said.