Browsing by Author "Rathnayaka, R. M. J. B."

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Determination of potentials for safe drinking water supply using present socio-economic criteria in a rural sector, Kegalle District, Sri Lanka
(4th International Research Symposium on Pure and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Bellanthudawa, B. K. A.; Nawalage, N. M. S. K.; Handapangoda, H. M. A. K.; Wijesinghe, L.; Silva, R. N. S.; Rathnayaka, R. M. J. B.; Shifan, M. S. M.; Pinnagoda, P. A. D. C.; Rathnayaka, R. M. C. Y.; Lansakara, L. M. A. P.
Evaluation and monitoring of existing socio economic status is vital for the improvement of water supply and sanitation especially in rural scale. This serves as a driven tool to understand and identify rural scale geographic locations in developing nations where there is less access to water supply, water consumption, hygiene and sanitation. The present study was carried out in Hakbellawaka GND in Kegalle District, Sri Lanka with the objective of identifying socio-economic conditions and potentials for the improvement of water supply and sanitation. A questionnaire survey was followed by selecting 100 houses randomly to explore the socio-economic background and water consumption pattern. In socio-economic analysis, (85%) of Sinhalese and (78%) of families were headed by females. The entire sampled population was a mixed economic based population, in which forty-two (42%) of people earned monthly income of LKR.10000-20000 and only (3%) of people earned above LKR 50,000. Water consumption and sanitation patterns showed that (85%) of the households had water sealed lavatories. Furthermore, (34%) depended on community based water supply schemes and (14%) used private protected wells. Considering safe drinking water consumption (92%) people used boiling and filtration via cloth filters as purification methods. Ninety five (95%) respondents were unsatisfied with present water sources due to inadequate quantity and quality. Therefore, they expected an improvement of the existing water supply facilities. Hence the satisfactory majority of the respondents (96%) showed the willing to acquire new water connection and to pay a monthly water bill. Seventy two percent (72%) of mentioned that water is insufficient during dry seasons and causes to reduce the water quality. Conclusively, the study revealed that low economic status among villagers at present. In addition, criteria such as less access to treated water, high demand for treated pipe water, insufficiency in water facilities and willingness to pay the water bill highlighted the importance and potential for uplifting the safe drinking water facilities. Hence, a new drinking water supply scheme with treatment plant is proposed in order to minimize the issues of quantitative and qualitative drinking water
Study of potential risks in a rural water supply scheme for a sustainable development of a Water Safety Plan (WSP): a case study of Madola Community Water Supply Scheme (RWSS), Sri Lanka
(4th International Research Symposium on Pure and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Bellanthudawa, B. K. A.; Nawalage, N. M. S. K.; Hadapangoda, H. K. A. K.; Buddhika, G. N.; Rajapaksha, P.; Wijesinghe, L.; Shifan, M. S. M.; Silva, R. N. S.; Rathnayaka, R. M. J. B.; Lansakara, L. A. M. P.; Pinnagodac, P. A. D. C.; Rathnayaka, R. M. C. Y.
Developing a Water safety plan (WSP) involves undertaking risk assessment at each step of Rural Water Supply Schemes (RWSS). This approach ensures the safe access to drinking water from catchment to consumer and sustainability of operation of RWSS. Hence, the present study was conducted in Madola Grama Niladhari Division (GND) in Kegalle District, Sri Lanka, with the objective of studying potential risks in the water supply scheme to develop a sustainable WSP. A semi quantitative risk assessment was followed from 02-07-2018 to 09-07-2018 to identify and prioritize all potential hazardous in each component of the existing RWSS from catchment to water distribution. Criteria such as significance, magnitude and frequency of occurrence were considered when ranking the risk level of hazards with regards to low, medium and high scales. Thereby, potential hazards in each component of RWSS were subjected to proper decision making by suitable mitigation measures towards water conservation. The semi quantitative assessment reveal that (15%) of high risk hazardous, (25%) of moderate risk hazardous and sixty (60%) low risk hazardous were observed. Further, high risk hazardous sources were recognized as sewage contaminations from wild animals from catchment, possibility of access of animal and illegal entering of people and contamination through breakings of distribution network. Stability of intake well foundation, operational failures of distribution network, failures of storage tanks, knowledge gaps of water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices were identified as medium risk hazards while deforestation, surface runoff, soil erosion and chemical contamination by agricultural activities and insufficiency of water were the potent low risk sources in the catchment. As recommendations, immediate actions are required to construct barrier/fence in intake structure, catchment protection activities such as tree planting, community awareness on proper agricultural and soil conservation within micro catchments and rehabilitation of storage tanks/pipe network are highlighted. Furthermore, enhancing knowledge and awareness on (WASH) practices of people, proper operation and maintenance programs measures can be applied to minimize identified hazards. Thus, it is important to follow the WSP of Madola RWSS to maintain the long-term viability of rehabilitation activities