Challenges of tsunami and conflict affected rural water supply in Sri Lanka

The water supply of the rural coastal areas in Sri Lanka is provided by private open dug wells, most of which have been flooded by sea water during the tsunami. The salinity of the well affected proved not to be the main problem, and early attempts to rehabilitate wells failed. Salinity reduction can only be achieved naturally, through the recharge of the aquifer. The true challenge for rural water supply is represented by bacteriological and agricultural contamination and sustainability of handpumps. Constructing back better means also an exit strategy from water trucking that does not focus on salinity, but introduces a new water quality awareness, and new water purification solutions, to the users. A lesson learned: in case of tsunami, do not try to rehabilitate the well, just wait for the rainy season

Community use of H2S (hydrogen sulphide) as a verification tool for water safety plans

Through the development of Water Safety Plans at the household level it is important that while the community understand their system of water delivery, measures are taken to protect their water source. It has been found that the cycle and introduction of Water Safety Plans will only be complete with the introduction of household’s water treatment and safe storage. In the rural setting of Sri Lanka the households are often the producer of water, it is important that the household is empowered to mitigate risks and has a method to test their water for harmful microbiological contamination. The H2S provides a tool for verification and provides an extrinsic motivation for the use of effective purification methods. Through the implementation of the Water Safety Plans and the verification by the use of H2S Kit, can households be confident their water is safe to drink