Water level in Kelani River has rise

Water level in Kelani River has rise: Colombo - Gampaha water supply in trouble

Though there is a talk that the water supply from Ambatale is to be stopped, there is no water issue -- Chairman of Water Supply Board.

8.30 a.m. Update

Though a certain officer of the Ambatale Water Treatment Plant has made a statement yesterday (19) to the effect that the water supply to Colombo and Gampaha Districts may be terminated with the Ambatale Water Treatment Plant submerging in water, the General Manager of National Water Supply and Drainage Board Mr. Ranjith Balasuriya says that such a situation does not exist. He requests the public not to take heed or be upset over rumours circulating that the water supply would be stopped or that the water had got mixed with oil and that the Board would hold themselves responsible for the purity of the water supplied.

If the flood level reaches a further 2 feet, water supply to Colombo, Gampaha would stop

8.00 p.m. Update

The overflowing of the Kelani River has by now developed into a stage where it could cause an interruption to the water supply. The reason for it is that the Ambatale Water Treatment Plant too has come under the floods. What those news say is that if at all the flood level increases upto another further 2 feet, a severe crisis could arise with the water supply coming to a complete standstill. Mr. Piyal Rajapaksa, Operations Manager of Ambatale Water Treatment Plant says this and further adds that the present water level of Kelani River has risen upto 20 feet and 5 inches and that if it was to go up by a further 2 feet, since 22 feet is the point where the pumping starts, there is a risk of the supply of water coming to a standstill.

As such, without disregarding the inconveniences, the supply of water from the Water Treatment Plant to Colombo and Gampaha Districts may have to be terminated. It would of course cause a serious problem to the general public. Whatever it is, he says that the water supply centre at Biyagama has been totally submerged by water at the moment. However he also says that water supply operations are continuously in operation. Though there is no issue at all concerning the purity of the water, under the prevailing conditions and according to the methodology adopted he says that the concentration of chlorine would be increased and the water would thus be purified and subsequently distributed. In this way, if the Ambatale water problem was to spring up, an alternate water supply method has however still not been prepared for Colombo as such.