Overhead tanks a must to collect rain water

by Ananda Kannangara

The Water Supply Ministry will soon implement new regulations where owners who construct houses, buildings and industrial complexes will have to build overhead tanks to collect rain water.

Water Supply Minister Mahindananda Amaraweera told the `Sunday Observer' that the objective of implementing such a program was to encourage consumers to stop wasting drinking water unnecessarily for agricultural and washing purposes.

He said this program will also be extended to all other houses and other places which have been already constructed, since it will immensely benefit the National Water Supply and Drainage Board who annually spends heavily on purifying water and the household in their endeavour to save money on water used by them for washing and agricultural purposes.

Minister Amaraweera also said that Government spends Rs. 27 to purify each unit of water. "But, we earn a mere Rs. 1.27 from consumers for a unit of purified water." He said the Government has no intention of increasing water bills and burdening consumers at this juncture.