Civil engineers have noted that the country at present faced issues with regard to sustainability and technology when it came to water treatment for the purpose of producing drinking water.
Systems for the purpose of measurement must also be created in relation to water testing, specifically for testing of heavy metals, organic compounds, carbonic waste and priority organic pollutants, the mere presence of minute traces of which are carcinogenic in effect.
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Civil Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Peradeniya, Dr. K.B. Shameen N. Jinadasa explained that appropriate technologies in terms of technologies which were economically, socially, environmentally, culturally, institutionally, administratively and structurally appropriate were not selected and used.
“There are lacunas in this process”, he said.
Another issue is that the systems pertaining to the above are installed separately, according to Jinadasa.
“The country must look at producing and manufacturing membrane filters locally”, Jinadasa further said.
“We should not have to depend on others with regard to membranous filters. When such filters are used in treatment related facilities, and the membrane of the filter breaks, we have to go to the country from which it was imported (China or Japan) or consult an expert in this regard. We must instead find a way to repair them here. We are conducting surveys to look at our weaknesses. This is a long-term process. For self-sustainability, we need a strong foundation and a suitable environment”. (RLJ)
Source – 31/12/2016, Nation, See more at – http://nation.lk/online/2016/12/31/drinking-water-is-high-priority-say-civil-engineers.html
