Wasa, EPD lock horns over arsenic in water

By Ali Raza


LAHORE

THE Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Punjab, have locked horns over the accuracy of the EPD's report on presence of arsenic in the ground water in the provincial metropolis.

Wasa officials claimed that the water analysis of 392 Wasa tube-wells carried out by the EPD showing arsenic level of 168 tube-wells beyond permissible limit of 50 PPB was not reliable. They said that a recent meeting held under the chairmanship of provincial secretary HUD and PHED, Punjab, on July 03, 2010 in which the EPD officials admitted this fact.

WASA claimed that the reasons for the erratic results are due to malfunctioning of De-Ionizer of EPD and non compliance of standard sampling protocols by the EPD officials. They said it was also pointed out in the meeting that water analysis carried out earlier by the PCRWR also showed high arsenic concentration at 74 tube wells. WASA claimed that EPD's results were also not reliable because the tests were carried out by kit method.

On the other hand, EPA Director General Dr Shagufta Shahjehan strongly opposed Wasa's point of view and insisted that the tests conducted by the EPD were reliable because they were carried out according to international specifications and methods.

Answering to a question about fault in De-Ionizer, she said the machine was not out of order and was working accurately. She said cartages of the machine were accurate and fresh when the tests were carried out in January 2010.

"Wasa should start planning to install filters for removing arsenic instead of challenging the accuracy of results," she said, adding that the department had complete reports about the accuracy of De-Ionizer from the experts of JAICA, the Japanese organisation, which donated the machine to the department.

Wasa officials said that to ascertain actual situation they had sent samples of 453 tube-wells to the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, for analysis. So far 165 samples have been analysed by the UET and samples of two tube-wells were found beyond permissible limit of 50 ppb. The level of errors in water analysis conducted by the EPD, PCRWR and UET can be gauged from the fact that arsenic level detected at Taxali Gate by the EPD was 250, by PCRWR it was 30 and by UET it was only 0.05. They said similar kind of variations were revealed in the water samples of Ali Park, Qaddafi Colony, Q Block, Gulberg, Nappier Road and Krishan Nagar.

Wasa also admitted that due to interconnection of all Wasa tube-wells with each other, dilution could take place which diminishes the level of arsenic in the system caused by any particular tube-well and the government of Punjab was vigilant about the issue and, if anywhere required, arsenic removal plant would be installed there.

EPD Provincial Secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiyana said that the department had also started reconfirmation of its tests. When asked why the department was reconfirming its own report, he said the department stood by its previous report and water testing was a continuous process. He said the department was also upgrading its lab and testing facilities for the betterment of the general public.