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Introduction:

Like other south Asian places, supply of less and poor quality drinking water available within the house is one of the major contributors to agony, disease and death in Pakistan. This has an adverse effect on the quality of life, like disease and death burden due to cholera, diarrhea , Typhoid, Hepatitis , Cancer and bone deformation to name a few.

Microbiological contamination related disorders have an early effect where as chemical contamination takes longer periods for the manifestation, if present in trace amounts.

This has an adverse effect on the quality of life, like

1. Agony due to disease
2. Agony of death of a dear one
3. Loss of  working  hours of  the sick and  those attending to him/ her and hence family income
4. Already malnutrition poor develop a strong competitor for food in their bellies, in the form of worms.
5. Loss of school hours and education, drop out due to poor sanitation in schools.
6. Loss of family time by mother spent on collecting water from long distances and exposure to hazards for her and the family.

This is how the need for supply of good quality drinking water becomes a strong priority issue to be resolved for our national development.

the latest development in this direction is 28 July 2010 –Safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights, the General Assembly declared today, voicing deep concern that almost 900 million people worldwide do not have access to clean .water.   <http://groups.google.com/group/wash–Pakistan/browse_thread/thread/4627f74d35108cab.

The travel from Local Government ordinance 2001, schedule VI section 94’s , which mentions drinking water as “wholesome water “. Only .Wholesome is a nonspecific term and could have different meanings for different people.

We recommend defining safe drinking water as water having quality conforming to Pakistan standards and quality Control authority (PSQCA), Standard No. PS 1932, ICS No.13.06020 (second revision.)

Document in hand provides an action oriented out line for less than a decade to achieve Millennium development goal of, halving the population not having access to improved drinking water by 2015.in Pakistan.

The problem-Solution analysis presented in this document is like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When we look at them in isolation we tend to doubt its strong relationship with the issue and solutions but we assure you when every piece falls into proper slot it will be the best available picture of the problem and solutions

Assumptions

1.    In Pakistan we may not have a supply of intentional safe drinking water , anywhere.

2.    No laboratory has the capability to completely analyze drinking water for safety in accordance with PSQCA – Standards at an affordable cost and reasonable time.

1. Only about half of the population has access to piped drinking water, which has been rarely completely tested for safety.
2. Two third of the population is drinking water of unknown quality; the only testing comes through human consumption and getting sick.
3. Getting supply of safe drinking water in accordance with PSQCA standards in one go  will  not be possible , so we  need  to settle for Improved water source* which means a source likely to provide safe water, such as house hold connection a bore hole etc.(Joint monitoring program WHO/ UNICEF)*
4. The harvest the object of this initiative is improving the quality of life of our people, we must work on safe drinking water, better sanitation and hygiene at the same time.
5. Microbiological testing of water for safety before supply is not possible (Takes 24-48 hours), so quality assurance is of importance at the water supply points, distribution system and home storage tanks.

Strategy for improving drinking water quality

For the sake of simplicity the process of achieving the goal of access to safe and enough drinking water has been divided in three phases namely

1.    Long term actions where intensive cost and will to do is involved.

2.    Short term and medium cost intensive

3.    Immediate and doable where mostly, a strong determination will be a major contributor and costs will not be heavy. It will make efficient use of existing resources vis-à-vis manpower infrastructure etc.

1.  Long Term

National water, drinking water, sanitation, and health policies are a collection of wish list. Efforts should be made to sort out some doable plan from these documents. Perhaps this is what we are trying to do now.

1.1    Local government ordinance 2001 Schedule VI section 94 defines this responsibility as “wholesome water “.  The ordinance needs amendment to clearly define drinking water quality in accordance with the government’s ministry of science and technology standards PSQCA, standard No. PS 1932, ICS No.13.06020 second revision.

1.2    Water being used for making ice should also be of similar quality.

1.3    The provider of water and ice has to make a testing arrangement.

1.4    There has to be a third party quality testing by PCRWR, PCSIR, NIH or university/ medical college Lab.

1.5    No untreated sewage water/ industrial waste water to be discharged to water bodies both fresh and ground. This needs regulations by EPA, which is there in the form of NEQS and implementation through Local government.

1.6    Hospital waste has to be properly disposed off.

1.7    Plastic shopping bags should be phased out and technology for converting used shopping bags into water, sun and sound proof sheets be developed, to get rid of this heavy non degradable material.

1.8.   Energy Savor Mercury lamps should be controlled for proper disposal; else they will be a great contamination source in water and environment.

Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)

1.6    Ministry of science and technology‘s PSQCA, standard No. PS 1932, ICS No.13.06020 second revision. To be upgraded to mandatory status from the present voluntary, like bottled water standards

1.7    MOST / PSQCA to issue standards for piping and plumbing material

1.8    Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for lying of water supply and sewerage pipes need to be documented and issued.

1.9    SOPs for making septic tanks and drainage lines to be developed and implemented

2.0  Develop local technology for Sewerage and wastewater treatment. MOST can do it in collaboration with university (HEC) and EPA.

2.1  Ministry of Environment, to phase out the use of plastic shopping bags and plastic Bottles of soft drinks / Water.

Ministry of health

3.1      Planning to start a national deworming program

3.2      Mass education to drink optimum (2.0-2.5 L for adults), of good quantity water

3.3      Washing hands with soap after the use of bath room

3.4      The hospitals to collect health data on water related diseases

3.5      Medical Officer at Tehsil Headquarter hospital to visit filtration plants, and send his report

4.0    Short term and medium cost intensive

4.1  Water billing to consumer should be related to quality and   quantity of water being supplied.

In case the water being supplied is not fit for human consumption, ministry of Local Government

4.2 The water service provider should immediately share this information with the consumer and in case of nonconformance the provider will be fined Re.1 /day / person.

4.3   Provider should regularly share quantity and quality of water being supplied to consumer.

4.4  Appointing the most capable available staff member in the department as resident in charge of the treatment plant.

4.6  Clearly writing the job description of the water supply and distribution staff

4.7  Civic bodies supplying drinking water should   arrange to take quality assurance measure at the treatment and supply sites

4.8  Documenting procedures for activities at the treatment and testing and Maintain complete records of conformance to these procedures

Note: In writing job descriptions procedures and records, author will give technical support, if needed.

5. Immediate actions

5.1          Appointing the most capable available staff member in the department as resident in charge of the treatment plant.

5.2          On job training of water supply in charge and the staff, about the Procedures of   water treatment

5.3          Training of water testing lab staff about basic analytical Procedures

5.4        Providers to share with the consumer, actions being taken in case of an uncontrollable poor quality supply.

5.5          Ensuring drinking water safety at source and encouraging consumers to hand carry this water in clean containers for drinking purpose.

Legal Cover

1. Mandatory for the provider to share the results of water sample analyzed consumers immediately and issue warning in media to the public, in case of unsafe quality tests.
2. Power connection to Drinking water supply cannot be disconnected
3. Doable actions to improve water quality should not wait for the formulation and approval of the policy.
4. Status of Pakistan drinking water standard PSQCA  No. PS 1932, ICS No.13.06020 second revision, be changed from voluntary to mandatory.
5. Water provider to be fined Re 1/ person, in case of water supply not fit for human consumption or of unknown quality.

Ministry of Special initiatives seems to be the focal point of all the activities by default.

1. Inquiry be conducted to see why filtration plants in all union councils were not installed and operative till Dec 2007. Efforts be made to overhaul this set up to function as envisaged by the project writers.

Action Plan for consumers

1. Consciously ensuring that each adult drinks 2.-2.5 L of water (about 10-12 Glass) and children adjust accordingly. Quantity of water needs adjustment according to temperature and profession .Players need more water
2. Saving water, not wasting.
3. Visiting and checking with the water provider the actions being taken to ensure providing safe water.
4. Check with the provider, date of cleaning of overhead and/or underground water storage tanks.
5. consumer to insist on seeing the latest water test report with the provider
6. Ensure that domestic water storage tanks are regularly cleaned
7. In case of more than one family member suffering from water related disease, get his water checked and start collecting water from a safe source.
8. Intermittent supply of water causes back suction of dirty water from leaking surroundings. Report leaking pipes and valve chambers.
9. Ensure that all family members wash their hands with soap after the use of bath room.
10. Ensure toilets in schools, hospitals and place of WUZOO in mosques have soap for washing hands

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