Dry weather could impact water supply: Water Board urges the public to use water sparingly

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has warned that strict measures will have to be taken if the current drought continues.

NWSDB stated that the overall daily purified drinking water supply capacity has decreased by 9% due to drought.

Accordingly, NWSDB has urged the public not to use drinking water for other purposes and to use water sparingly.

The Deputy General Manager at the NWSDB Anoja Kaluarachchi stated that around 42 water sources and 54,580 water connections are at risk at present.

Sri Lanka has 344 water supply projects and 267 water sources which the board depends on to supply water to end users.

Several among them in the Hambantota, Matara, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Kandy, Badulla, Monaragala, Ampara, Anuradhapura and Kurunegala are currently at risk.

She noted that there is no severe crisis in the supply of drinking water to the Colombo and Gampaha districts, although the Department of Meteorology has indicated that substantial rainfall can only be expected in the middle of October.