69% Water Suppliers in Pakistan Fail Key Quality Test

An estimated 69 per cent of water suppliers in Pakistan do not meet the National Standards for Drinking Water Quality, putting millions of lives at risk, a key survey has found.

According to Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources’ (PCRWR) latest survey, there has only been an increase of ten per cent in the quality of water provided for drinking since 2006.

These numbers clearly indicate that achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG) Target 6.1 – the provision of 100 per cent clean water – will be challenging. 

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Out of the 369 sources that were selected for testing, 114 or 31 per cent sources were found safe as opposed to 255 (69 per cent) that were not. The study showed that 57 per cent of the water samples were microbiologically contaminated, while other contaminants included arsenic (6%), turbidity (8%), chloride (15%), nitrate (6%), TDS (11%), hardness (6%) and iron (10%).

During the first water quality survey, conducted from 2002 to 2006, data had shown that 84 per cent of the samples collected were contaminated.

Contaminants were present in the following percentages: bacteria (69%), arsenic (24%), nitrate (14%) and fluoride (5%). The analytical findings were compared with standards set out by World Health Organisation.

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“Although the latest data is not promising, it is at least better than the data we collected ten years ago. We need to pick up the pace because at this rate we will never be able to provide 100 per cent clean drinking water by 2030.” said a senior official from PCRWR.

Source: The Express Tribune

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Taxonomy

• Public Health
• Potable
• Drinking Water Security
• Standards & Quality
• Drinking Water Treatment
• Standards
• Drinking Water Managment
• Drinking Water
• Standards