The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) says that steps will be taken to manage and distribute water carefully over the next few days due to the prevailing dry weather conditions.
Additional General Manager Lalith Wijesinghe made this statement at a media briefing held today (02) at the Government Information Department.
He noted that the NWSDB produces around 2.5 million cubic meters of water daily, of which approximately 50% is supplied to the Western Province.
Water production mainly depends on rivers and reservoirs, both of which have been affected by the ongoing dry conditions. As a result, water levels in these sources have significantly dropped.
In the Western Province, about 1.25 million cubic meters of water is produced daily. Of this, 700,000 cubic meters are supplied to the Colombo District, 450,000 cubic meters to the Gampaha District, and 180,000 cubic meters to the Kalutara District.
Due to the dry weather, limited water distribution is already being implemented in certain areas of the Western Province.
Water supply to the Colombo District is provided through the Ambatale, Labugama, and Kalatuwawa water treatment plants. Accordingly, Ambatale supplies around 550,000 cubic meters, Labugama 60,000 cubic meters, and Kalatuwawa 90,000 cubic meters.
Wijesinghe further warned that there could be a risk to water supply in some areas of the Colombo District, particularly those served by the Labugama and Kalatuwawa treatment plants, in the coming days.
