Water cut due to severe dry weather

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) states that due to the severe dry weather conditions affecting the island, there is a possibility of daily water cuts for several hours in the coming weeks. Its Chairman, Engineer Chandana Bandara, points out that the rapid increase in public water consumption these days, coupled with the corresponding decrease in water levels in major water supply sources, has been the primary reason for this decision.

In light of this situation, providing an uninterrupted 24-hour water supply has already become a challenge in the Western Province, including the Colombo District, as well as in several other areas. The Chairman further revealed that distributing water with adequate pressure, especially to areas located at higher elevations, has already become a major problem.

Although the water production process has not been severely affected so far, it has been observed that the water capacity of Labugama and Kalatuwawa reservoirs, as well as other reservoirs across the island, is rapidly decreasing. Therefore, after reviewing the prevailing weather conditions and the increasing water demand in the future, the Board will have to make tough decisions to properly manage the available water.

Although no official water cuts have been declared yet, authorities point out that maintaining a full-time water supply will be extremely difficult in the future. Therefore, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board urges the public to avoid wasting water on non-essential activities and to use it very sparingly. If water sources dry up and the supply completely ceases, alternative measures have been prepared to distribute water via bowsers, and the Board further informs the public to report any water-related issues to the 1939 hotline.