Lack of adequate labs hits water quality checks in Kerala

KOCHI: Lack of enough testing labs is a major hurdle before ensuring the quality of drinking water from various sources during the monsoon when people's concerns about contamination rise. Though the city corporation has a water policy, a blueprint on water-related projects, it is yet to address issues such as the absence of testing facilities.

During the survey conducted ahead of the water policy formulation, high level of iron and nitrate were found in borewells and other pollutants in open wells. The district has three government labs - regional analytical laboratory at Kakkanad, the Kerala Water Authority’s lab at Nettoor and the groundwater department’s lab at the collectorate – which are flooded with samples.

“People are more concerned about the safety and quality of water and take samples for physical, chemical, and bacteriological analyses. Due to a high number of samples, the results can’t be given in seven days,” sources at groundwater department said. Though the previous civic administration had announced more testing labs in association with private organisations in its 2013 – 2014 annual budget, nothing has happened.

“People are fed up with the inordinate delay in getting the results from the government labs. And the government labs are not accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. Authorities should set up more labs on PPP model,” said Shivdas B. Menon, former managing director of Sterling Test House, a leading private lab recently taken over by a US group.