Do you know from where your drinking water comes? Whether it is safe to drink or not? Has it been treated properly?  These are the frequent questions you should think about before drinking water in Kathmandu.

Drinking water safety is a major concern during the summer. Every year thousands of people acquire waterborne illnesses and are hospitalized because of contaminated drinking water.

Recently district public health office, Kathmandu identified that 66% of water sources have been contaminated by coliform bacteria.  Coliform bacteria are often referred to as “indicator organisms” because they indicate the potential presence of disease causing bacteria in water.

The presence of coliform bacteria indicates that a contamination pathway exists between a source of bacteria and the water supply. Disease-causing bacteria may use this pathway to enter the water supply.

According to national census, 85 per cent  Nepalese have access to drinking water. However drinking water supplied is not always safe even when it is supplied through systemic piped water systems. Many of the improved or even treated and safe water may be contaminated during transmission, distribution and household use. Therefore, only 12 to 15 percent of the people have access to safe drinking water.

Tanker water and jar water is generally used to overcome this scarcity in many urban areas of the country. But water safety is a major concern. Poor sanitation and hygiene are giving rise to many epidemics that kill people.

Every summer we find many illnesses like cholera, dysentery and diarrhea caused by contaminated drinking

water in rural areas and in Kathmandu.

Unmanaged urbanization, industrialization, unplanned housing and overpopulation are causes of increasing pollution in Nepal. Poor drainage systems and improper dumping sites are creating many health hazards.

In cities poor drainage, air pollution and poor solid waste disposal are major burdens to maintain sanitary measures. Open defecation is a prime concern and main cause of fecal contamination of drinking water.

Water systems are required to deliver safe and reliable drinking water to their consumers.

Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental requirement for good health so drinking water suppliers and government should be responsible to ensure safe drinking water.