KOCHI: For a state that is very health conscious, the frequent outbreaks of Hepatitis A and Cholera have raised many questions, especially regarding the quality of drinking water. Water quality experts said the state indeed has a lot to worry about the deteriorating quality of water in our rivers, ponds,wells, and more alarmingly the supplies by Kerala Water Authority (KWA).
A recent study revealed that with a daily average consumption of 3,000 litres, Malayalees are the biggest consumers of water at the national level. But how careful are we in keeping our water resources palatable? “Not much,” said Dr Sunny George, director of SCMS Water Institute in Kochi.
According to him, a lot of factors are at play when it comes to water quality. “We source the water needed for our daily needs like drinking, cooking and other purposes from mainly three sources. One is the open well, the second is the KWA connection and then comes the tanker lorries,” he said.
“Unlike in the past, when land holdings were big, the issue of water in the well getting contaminated was very remote. You couldn’t find a septic tank close to a well. Then there was the process of cleaning of the wells that were adhered to with clockwork precision,” he said.
In April, four persons died and 250 residents of Vengoor panchayat in Ernakulam were affected by Hepatitis A, following the contamination of the water supplied by the KWA.Around 500 people reported diarrheal diseases at DLF New Town Heights, Kakkanad, due to high amount of E.Coli in the drinking water. Malappuram reported 1,420 confirmed cases of viral hepatitis and 5,360 suspected cases, with 11 deaths in the first half of this year, triggering big concerns on the water quality.
Dr George said suggested implementing a system of lining the wells with clam shells to reduce the acidity of the water and the addition of charcoal to take care of the turbidity. Over the years, the population has increased and the land holdings have shrunk with houses being constructed on plots as small as 2 or 3 cents.
This resulted in the deviation from the standard rule of maintaining a distance of 7 metres between a septic tank and the well, said Dr Usha K Aravind, director of the School of Environmental Studies, Cusat. According to her, another factor that can be attributed to the contamination of the drinking water sources is the unscientific waste disposal practices.
“Both biological and non-biological wastes are dumped in open areas. Even septage waste is illegally dumped during night in water bodies and paddy fields. This results in the growth of pathogens like E.Coli and other disease-causing microbes in wells and rivers,” she said.
Dr George cited the example of septage waste management launched in Chalakkudy. “Instead of contracting private parties, the municipalities can introduce a mobile septage treatment plan. In Chalakudy, a mobile septage treatment unit carries out the cleaning of septic tanks for Rs 5,000.
The unit converts the septage waste into clear water and uses a chemical process to deal with the solid waste,” he says. According to Dr Usha and Dr George, it should also be noted that the number of people using the KWA water is only around 30 to 40 per cent.
“Majority depend upon wells,” said Dr George. “KWA supplies water after chlorination. But how many of us have chlorinated the well water before use? In today’s scenario when everyone is living very close and the wells are situated adjacent to septic tanks, taking steps like chlorination is a must,” said Dr Usha.
Another factor that Dr George pointed out was the influx of migrants. “They might not be the root cause, but it should be noted that unlike Keralites they don’t seek medical help when they are sick. So, the primary infection goes undetected. The presence of the pathogen comes to light only after an outbreak happens. Then there is the matter of hygiene,” he added.
‘KWA water safe to drink’
Concerning the quality of drinking water supplied by the Kerala Water Authority, an official with the Quality Department of KWA says, “Thorough testing is carried out frequently to ensure that the quality of water being supplied is as per the standards.” According to him, the Quality Wing of the KWA conducts physical, chemical and bacterial tests. “We have 131 location points at the major rivers in Kerala from where water is sourced for supply. Frequent survey is carried out at these points,” he adds.
Adhere to all rules, says Water Tanker Association
Ruling out any lapses, the Water Tanker Association secretary Ramachandran says, “We collect water from the collection listed by the KWA. We are careful to source water from waterbodies that have been tested and cleared,” he says adding that they also source water from wells. According to him, to transport water, the tankers have to get proper certifications from the authorities and departments concerned.