Updates of Water Environment
Governance in Sri Lanka
Dr. R.M.S.K. Ratnayake
Director
Environmental Pollution Control Unit
Central Environmental Authority

The 15th WEPA Annual Meeting
7th February 2020
Bangkok1

Content
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Facts and statistics of water quality
Facts and statistics of domestic wastewater management
Facts and statistics of Industrial wastewater management
Legislative framework for water environmental governanceInstitutional framework for water environmental
governance
6. Water quality monitoring framework
7. Enforcement instruments for water environment
management
8. Future targets/plans, issues and challenges of water
environment governance2General Information
Status of water Resources in SL• Annual Rain fall –wet zone – over 2000mm/year• Intermediate zone – between 1500- 2000 mm/year• Dry Zone – 1500 mm/year River basins – 103 Total length –4,500km• Total area of irrigation & multipurpose reservoirs – 169,941
hectares• Ground water Resources – 7,800 million m3 about 72% of therural population rely on ground water.
• Total Annual Fresh Water Withdrawals - 13 billion m3 (2005)• Annual Fresh Water Withdrawals by sectors– Agriculture 87.3%– Industry 6.4%
– Municipal (including domestic) 6.2 %(Source : Central Bank Report 2010)3

4

1. Facts and statistics of water quality• Regularly monitor main water bodies only
– 12 main water bodies• Monitor others when required• Generally maintaining the quality• But not in all areas• Main contaminations are with– Domestic contaminations– Garbage leachate5Status of Water Quality & monitoring frequency
Water Quality Status (BOD, COD) of few Major Water Courses in SL ( 2018 – 2019)River/Lake

Average
BOD,mg/l

Average
COD, mg/lNo ofLocations

No ofParameters

Monitoring
Frequency

1

Kelani River

291723Once a month

2Kalu River

2.94

6.08

1210

Once a month3

Maha Oya

1.53

6.7

814

Once a month4

Nilwala River

113.75811

Once a month5

Badulu Oya

1.5

11.02

712

Once a month6

Diyawanna
Oya

2.73

16.08

814

Once a month

7

Kurunegala
Tank

4.31

21.69

49

Once a month8

Menik Ganga

1.85

15.65

4

12

Once a month10

Deduru Oya

3.2

19.13

611

Once a month11

Attanagaluoya

3.46

43.13

612

Once a month12Wennaruwa
tank

3.19

12.85

39

Once a month 6

2. Facts and statistics of domestic wastewater
management

Sanitation Type & Estimated Population Coverage• Piped Sewerage (Offsite)- 507,435 (2.5%)• Onsite Sanitation- 16,887,200 (83.2%)• Without Proper Sanitation- (Includes Type
Unknown/Other, Pit Latrines) 2,902,500 (14.3%)• By 2025 expected sewerage network coverage is 3.2 %Typeconstructed for Export
Processing Zones to treat
industrial effluentsConstructed for
Housing schemes totreat domestic WW

On going
Projects major/ minorNumber1013187Some Sewer Treatment Facilities in Major Cities
Sewerage
SystemGreater
ColomboSewerage
SystemCity

Population

Colombo

700,000

Dehiwala/223,000

TPCapacity/
M3/d

WWTP Process

2 Ocean outfalls in
CMC system

Mt. Laviniya

Operated by

CMC

Kolonnawa

60,000Kataragama

Kataragama

20,935

3,000

Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa

30,0001,020

408
industries+
20,0008,300

17,000

Aerated lagoon with NWSDB
maturation pond
Facultative& NWSDB
Maturation pond
Complete treatment
NWSDB

7,500

Complete treatment

NWSDB

4,500

Complete treatment

NWSDB

Rathmalana Rathmalana/Moratuwa
Jaela/Ekala

Ja ElaGreater
Kurunegala

Kurunegala

25,000Total

1,087,2358

Major Housing Schemes
Housing Scheme

No ofConnect
ions

Soysapura connected
to rathmalana

1,987

Mattegoda

1,154

JayawadanagamaTPcapacity/
m3/dTreatment method

Operatedby

8,345

Imholf tank +Trickling
filter system now
connected to BNR system

NWSDB

4,846

Waste stabilization pondsystem

NWSDB

669

2,809

Connected to CMC sea
out fall at Wellawatta

NWSDB

Maddumagewatta

315

1,323

Connected to CMC sea
out fall at Wellawatta

NWSDBRaddolugama

2,045

6,000

8,589

activated sludge system

NWSDB

Hantana

394

550

1,654

Imhof tank combined withTrickling filter

NWSDB

Royal Park

249

1,045

Connected to CMC sea
out fall at Wellawatta

NWSDB

Kuruminiyawatta

202

848

Connected to CMC sea
out fall at Wellawatta

NWSDB

Total

7,015

29,463

600

Population
Coverage93. Facts and statistics of Industrial wastewater
management
EPL status – Feb and Dec 2019
Feb
Category

No. ofIndustries

ADec
EPL status

No. ofIndustries

EPL status

13059

8874 (68%)

13656

9631(71%)

B105658695 (82%)

10528

8840(84%)

C

25380

11947(47%)

25203

12769(51%)

BOI

1198

857(72%)1188

844(71%)

10xE port rocessing
Pones
Z
Export Processing Zone

TP capacity/m3/dTreatment method

Operated by1

Biyagama

21,000Mechanically Aerated lagoon system,oxidation ditch system

NWSDB

2

Seetawaka

9,900

Oxidation Ditch System

NWSDB

3

Koggala

675

Activated Sludge Extended Aerationsystem

NWSDB

4

Katunayaka

3000

Flow through Aerated Lagoons system

BOI

5

Mirigama

400

Activated Sludge Extended Aerationsystem

BOI

6

Wathupitiwala

900

Sequencing Batch Reactor system

BOI7Polgahawela

450

Oxidation Ditch system

BOI

8Mawathagama

500

Oxidation Ditch system

BOI9Horana

1,000

Rotating Biological Contactors system

BOI

10Malwatta

450

Oxidation Ditch system

BOITotal

37,82511

4. Legislative framework for water
environmental governance• Constitution 1978
• Parliament Acts
– National Environmental Act– Water Resource Board Act– Marine Environment Protection Act• Provincial Statutes• Local Governmental Authority Laws
12

National Environmental Act• 1980 - National Environmental Act (NEA) No. 47• 1981 - CEA Established as the implementing agency• 1988 - Amendment Act No. 56 with regulatory powers• 2000 - Amendment Act No. 53• Regulatory tools.
– Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure-1993– Environmental Protection Licencing Procedure- 1990,
2000,2008– Schedule Waste Management Licence-2008– Wastewater discharge standards-1990, 2008
– Ambient water quality standards-201913• Prescribed projects (large scale) need to obtainapproval through EIA process• Prescribed all polluting activities- 138– Categorized as A, B and C– Need to comply standards– Mandatory to obtain Environmental Protection
Licence (EPL)for its operation– Otherwise punishable offence• Prescribed schedule wastes– Need to obtain special licence for handling any HW
14

5. Institutional framework for water
environmental governance• CEA- Overall enforcement power to control
water pollution• WRB- Control ground water extraction andpollution• MEPA- Control marine environment pollution• NWSD- supply of drinking water and seweragesystem

15

6. Water quality monitoring
framework• Regular monitoring-– only 9 main rivers out of 103– 3 tanks• Randomly monitor other water bodies according to theurgent requirements• Self monitoring of polluting activities– High polluting need quarterly basis– Medium polluting need biannually• Central laboratory and 9 provincial laboratories• 15 registered private laboratories• 1 real time monitoring station
16

Kelani River Water quality Monitoring andCategorization

17

Categorization of Kelani river inline with ambient water quality
standards(Water user classes)

18

19

20

21

Attanagalu Oya Water Quality Parameters in2019

Average pH levels in 2019

Average BOD5 levels in 2019
786765544332

2

10

1January February MarchAprilMayJuneJuly0January February March

Average DO levels in 2019

MayJuneJuly

Average EC in 2019

123000102500
2000

81500

61000

4500

20April

0January February March

April

MayJuneJuly

22

Average Turbidity in 2019

COD mg/l
80

1870

16
1460

1250

1040

830

620

410200January February March

April

MayJuneJuly

January February March

April

MayJuneJuly

23

Water Quality Monitoring in Diyawanna Oya

24

72
62
52

COD

L142

L2
L3
L432

L5
L6
L722

L8

12
2

18.04.17

12.09.17

26.12.17

19.04.18

29.08.18

18.12.18 16.05.2019 12.09.2019

DATE/TIME

25

26

Water Quality Monitoring in Kalu
River 201927

Water Quality Monitoring in Kalu
RIver 2019
Average COD levels in 2019

Average BOD Levels in 2019

84

73.5

63

5

2.5

42Range

3

1.5

2

1

1

0.5

00January

February

April

AugustSeptember

Average EC levels in 2019

January

February

April

AugustSeptember

Average pH levels in 2019

37.6

2.5

7.5
7.4

2

7.3

1.5

7.2

1Range 6-9

7.1

0.5
0Range4-5

7January

February

April

AugustSeptember

6.9January

FebruaryAprilAugust

September

28

Online Water Quality Monitoring Station - Ambatale Location – Water intake atAmbathale, NWSDB Parameters measure – PH, EC,Turbidity, Total Organic Carbon,Colour, Oil & Grease 02 more stations have been
proposed in upstream &downstream along kelani river.

29

Online Water Quality Monitoring station vigilance foremergency situations

30

Web Page on Online Water Quality Monitoring31

7. Enforcement instruments for water
environment management• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)• Environmental Protection Licence (EPL)• Scheduled Waste Management Licence (SWML)• Environmental Protected Areas• Directives to LGA s on SWM• Environmental Recommendation (ER)• Certificate of conformity for domestic wastewater32

Inspection Frame Work for Environmental Protection License ( EPL)
Industry Category

RenewalMonitoring
Frequency

Report submission

High Polluting ( 80)

One year or lessOnce a year

Medium Polluting (33)Three years or
lessOnce in threeyears

wastewater analyticalreports, noise measurement
reports and emission
measurement reports.
Reporting frequency
depends on the industry
type and pollution

Low Polluting (25)Three years orlessDelegated tolocal
government

Once in threeyears33

8. Issues and challenges of water
environment governance
•••••
•
•
•

Pollution control techniques for SMEs.
Lack of facility for hazardous waste management.
Weaknesses in legal processes.
Strengthen law enforcement and compliance monitoring.
Conflicts with industrial development
Zoning plans and industrial zones.
Poor implementation of environment laws at LGAs.
Unavailability of proper municipal waste management systems

34

9. Future targets/plans of water
environment governance• Monitoring Industries along the Kelani river basin fromAwissawella to downstream Modara ( action plan 2020)• Quality & Quantity analysis of waste load along the river –(industrial & domestic) & restrict industrial siting along theriver• Classification of Kelani river and replicate to other rivers• Expand water quality monitoring locations to cover all 103
rivers and improvement of laboratories- central & regional• Develop a water quality index need inputs from Partnercountries• Amendments of the National Environmental Act• Revision of environmental quality standards• Introduce load based licencing scheme for water discharging
industries- need partner country support to develop thesystem
35

Thank you!

36