THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: High iron content detected in drinking water pumped from the Kerala Water Authority’s Aruvikkara water treatment plant has raised health concerns in Thiruvananthapuram. The iron content has increased to 0.4mg/litre against the normal rate of 0.3mg/litre and, according to sources, the proportion is likely to go up as the summer progresses.
Sources said this was a recurring concern caused due to drop in the water levels in reservoirs during summers.The KWA supplies about 535 million litres per day (MLD) treated water every day in Thiruvananthapuram district, of which 360 MLD goes to the city areas accounting for a population of about 12 lakh.
Following the detection of high iron content, the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC), which is in charge of the bottled drinking water plant at Aruvikkara, has sought the KWA’s intervention.
“We noticed the change in colour of water, and we do quality checking everyday,” said a KIIDC official. “Now the KWA has started supplying water from another treatment plant. This is a temporary issue and normally the quality of water improves after three or four days.”
Though the issue gets flagged every summer, little efforts have been taken by the KWA to find a permanent solution. “We have four treatment plants at Aruvikkara and the issue arises mostly with oldest one,” said a KWA official. “During summers, water flow is low, and this particular plant is located where the water is stagnant.”
The official, however, downplayed health concerns, saying that the iron content would be below the permissible level in the water being pumped to residential areas. “We have four treatment plants and water from all of them gets mixed while pumping. Hence it will not create any problem for the residents,” said the official, adding that efforts were on to fix the issue.
“Last summer, we fixed the issue by mixing alum and lime. This year, too, we are planning to make such interventions,” the official said. “The matter has already been discussed with higher authorities. We have plans to procure an aerator unit for fixing the issue permanently.”
Indian Medical Association (Kerala) president-elect Dr Sulphi N said consumption of iron-laden water will not trigger any health issue “all of a sudden”, but cautioned that consistent intake may cause gastroenterological diseases. “Human body can absorb iron only in very small amounts,” he added.