Ground Water Pollution Due toIndustrial Discharges in Gampaha
District(WEPA Action Programme 2017)
By
Sanjaya Ratnayake
Central Environmental Authority
Sri Lanka
1Content
1. Background Information
2. Ground water pollution Incidents in SL
3. Objectives of the WEPA Action Programme
4. Site Selection Criteria
5. Project Implementation
6. Benefits and Outcomes
7. Way Forward2

1. Background Information
Water Resources in SL• Rain water– Annual Rain fall

• Wet zone – over 2000mm/year• Intermediate zone – between 1500- 2000 mm/year• Dry Zone – 1500 mm/year or less

• Surface water– 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 the rural population rely on groundwater.
– Total Annual Fresh Water Withdrawals - 13 billion m3 (2005)(Source : Central Bank Report 2010)3

• Annual Fresh Water Withdrawals by sectors– Agriculture 87.3%– Industry 6.4%
– Municipal (including domestic) 6.2 %Sri Lanka Water UsageDomestic,
6.20%
Industry, 6.40%

Agriculture,
87.30%

Source : Central Bank Report 20104

Groundwater use in Sri Lanka
 Estimated groundwater potential in Sri Lanka:
app. 7800 x 106m3/year rainwater is the main
source of recharge.
(Natural Resource of Sri Lanka, 1991)

72% of the rural
population
22% of theurban
population

60% of the total
population

dependent on groundwater fordomestic water supply(Central Bank of Sri Lanka 2006)

 Towns of Jaffna, Batticaloa, Mannar, Vavuniya andPuttalam:>90% depending on groundwater aquifer

1.1 Water Supply Coverage– 33% of population in Sri Lanka is served by pipe borne
water supply with 294 water supply schemes– Protected Dug Wells is 33%– Hand pump/tube wells is 8%– Rain water is used by 2.4% of population

Overall access to safe water coverage is 76.4% in2007 ( NWSDB report)

6

Water Supply Coverage (According to the WHO/UNICEF report on “Joint Monitoring
Program for Water Supply and Sanitation-2000 )Population

Urban
Rural
In 1999, 5.86 million 13.05 million

piped supply

76.1%

11.4%

underground wellwater

22.4%

71.8%

7

1.2 Legal Status of Ground Water Protection in Sri Lanka• Multiple mandates governing the use and managementof ground water are dispersed among various
agricultural, land and water managing institutions.
• 50 legislative enactments and 42 institutions deal withwater related matters.
• No single or formally accepted policy or law.
• Draft policy in year 2000 have opposed by the public
due to implementing economic principles.
• Extraction is freely open to every one and no limits.
• Fee is charged only if the water supplied in piped
schemes8

1.3 Institutional arrangement for water administration• Central Environmental Authority
Overall responsibility for protecting water Environment.
• Water Resources Board –scientific characterization, mapping, preparationof comprehensive and integrated plans for conservation, utilization,control and development of the groundwater.
• National Water Supply & Drainage Board- operational development andinstallation of public and private water supply schemes based on
groundwater, coordinate sewerage systems.
• Department of Irrigation – Regulation & control of inland waters• Mahaweli Authority – Maintenance of Mahaweli River and its reservoirs
for development of lands for agriculture.
• National Aquatic Resources Research Agency – Conduct Researches on
Aquatic Resources• Department of Coast Conservation – Conservation of the coastal zone andmanagement of its resources.
• Marine Environment Protection Authority- protect the marine
environment from ship based and shore based maritime related activity.

9

1.4 Industrial Distribution in Sri Lanka
Total A

Total B

Total C

Total

Sri Lanka

11,18010,64323,76945592

Colombo

2115

1410

1976

5710

Gampaha

1725

1362

1950

5308

10

1.5 Ground water usage in Colombo & Gampaha Districts( study of the management of ground water resources in Sri Lanka)

ColomboGampahaPopulation rely onground water %

34.8

75.4

Ground water usage –individuals m3/d

78,000156,000

Registered deep bore
hole wells

342890Ground water for piped
supply m3 / d05,859

11

1.6 Administrative Divisions in Gampaha District12

1.7 Water Resources in Gampaha District

13

GIS Lab/ CEA/ 2010

1.8 Land use map of Gampaha district14

2.0 Recent ground water pollution incidents
reported due to Industrial discharges• Since 2011 ground water contaminated with oil discharge
from Power plants in Chunnakum area in Jaffna peninsula.
• In 2014 Well water contamination in Rathupaswala (Gampahaarea) due to industrial effluent discharge ( rubber glove
manufacturing industry) on land.
• Ground water contamination since 2013 due to Palm oileffluent & sludge disposal on land. AEN Palm Oil , Baduraliya

15• In January 2016 accident in paint factory in Panadura,Keselwatte, leakage of chemical compounds in to near bylands and polluted well water in the close vicinity.
• In January 2016, leakage in under ground diesel tank andpollution of ground water and Nilwala river in SouthernProvince.
• July 2016 South Asia Textile, Pugoda (Gampaha) , flood caused
damage s to sludge storage tanks and discharged sludge in toup stream of water intake in Kelani river.

16

3. Objectives of the WEPA Action Programme• Analyze and improve the water pollution control
strategies adopted, and sludge disposal methods inselected high polluting industries in Gampaha
district.
• Analyze the situation of ground water pollution in
Gampaha District due to industrial activities.
• Develop policies or guidelines for industrial waste
disposal and siting of industries in Sri Lanka withrespect to ground water pollution.
• Develop Ground water quality standards?
17

4.0 Criteria for Selection of Project Location• Selection Criteria– Industrial distribution– Usage of shallow ground water– Level of water table– Number of recent incidents– Data available– Representation of the wet zone.

• Justification of the Selection– Gampaha district is the second largest industrialized district in Sri
Lanka counting 5339 number of high, medium and low polluting
industries.
– Shallow ground water is the main source of water in the District.
– Board of Investment (BOI) Export Processing Zones such as
Katunayake, Biyagama , Wathupitiwala and Malwana are located inGampaha district.
18

– Recent studies reveal that the well water is acidic in many
localities due to soil characteristics.
– WRB has some data on ground water in Gampaha district except
Mahara and Dompe DS areas.
– The DS areas in Gampaha district are categorized as mostsensitive areas in the Kelani river basin according to the Cabinet
Memorandum No. 93/340/166 and 93/340/166/1 in 1993.
– Conversion of coconut plantations and other non forested landsin to industrial uses.
– Increase in establishment of new industries.

194.1 Selection Criteria of Industries– The industry types dominated in the area are categorized ashigh polluting activities ie. chemical, leather, food, basic metal,
textile and transport sector.
– Most of the wastewater discharging industries in this areas are
not located within industrial zones.
– Quantity of wastewater discharge– Sludge generation (containing heavy metals ) & non availabilityof proper disposal site.
– Use of chemicals as ( may be heavy metals contain) rawmaterials.
– Pollution control methods adopted.

20

4.2 Industrial Distribution in Gampaha district
300250

200

150

10050

Total "A"
Category

Total "B" Category

Total "C"
Category021

4.3 Information of major industrial Categories in Gampaha district(CEA data base 2016 up dated)
Category

ChemicalBasic Metal

FoodTextile

Paper & pulp

Transport
related

OtherA ( High )

49

1143

34

02

21

51

B (Medium)

01-

03

03

01

02-

01

01

C (Low)--01--

22

Wastewater discharge from textile industry

23

Sludge collection Tank

24

Wastewater generated from Garment Washing Industry

254.4 Information of some industries proposed for the survey
Industry
1Chemicals
usedSource ofwater e

Processing 10m3 /dIdea Metals Ltd, Wester seaton Manufacturing ofCaOH
Hcl
HSo
Building Hardware
Domestic 10m3 /d
2
4Estate, Negombo.

, ,2Star Textile Processing
Industries,Kadirana,Negombo.

3Lanka Washing Unit,
Blue diamond Rd,
Liyanagemulla, Seeduwa.

4Type

Toyota Lanka (Pvt) Ltd,
337, Negombo Rd, Wattala.

TextileTextile Washing

Vehicle Servicing
Activities

Daily
Discharge &Final point
10m3 /dConstructed Pond
Over 20 years

NaoH
CN compound

Ground Water

Disperse Dyes
Reactive Dyes
Hydrogen Peroxide
Caustic Soda
Soda Ash
Acetic acid100 – 150 m3/ day
Ground Water

150 m3/ dEla
Over 15 years

Detergents
EnzymesBleaching Powder

Processing
100 m3/ dDomestic 100 m3/ dGround water

100 m3/ dNegombo Lagoon.

Car washing
Detergents
Britol Car washliquid /Dketone

70 m3 Per day
Common Supply

70 m3 /D
Kalu Ela26

6

Tan Rite International,
Leather finishing
No.31, 3rd lane, Palliyawatta,Handala, Wattala.

Chromium &other chemicals

7Knit Fin (Pvt) Ltd),
Wanguthota Watta, Giridara,Kapugoda.

Disperse Dyes
Reactive Dyes
Hydrogen Peroxide
Caustic Soda
Soda Ash
Acetic acid

8Oxford Dyeing (Pvt) Ltd,
Ragama Rd, Kadawatha.

9Crystal Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd),
33/1/2,
Gotabhaya MW, Hunupitiya,
Wattala.

TextileTextileGarment Washing

Industrial 5000 l/D 5000L / Batch
Domestic 300 l/D
Untreated WW on
Pipe line
groundSurface water
20 m3

18 m3/D
Treatment plant
available
Gardening

Disperse Dyes
Reactive Dyes
Hydrogen Peroxide
Caustic Soda
Soda Ash
Acetic acid

Public SupplyGround water
59 – 60m3/D

50m3/dMarshy land

Desizing Agent
EnzymesBleaching Powder
Softners

Public Supply/
Ground water
Processing 40m3/d

40m3/dEla27

10Biyagama Export Processing
Zone (BEP3)

11

South Asia Textile Industries
Lanka (Pvt) Ltd,
No.20, Pugoda.

Industries
manufacture
gloves,Lace,
Garments,
threads,Button,Granites, Shoe
Soles, Rubberbands, lyeing offabrics/ items,
PrintingofCurrency,
Tyres etc

Dyes, Textile
auxillaries,
Washing
Chemicals glove
manufacturing

Dyeing,Printing,
Knitting,
FinishingDyes, Textile
auxillaries, Washing
Chemicals

Public Supply
18000m3/day
Domestic
7000m3/day

14000m3/day

Processing 4200m3/d
Kelani River

Pond and ela

Pond, Ela

Chemicals.

28

5. Project Implementation
03 Weeks• Initial survey to Select high polluting industries in Gampaha
district.

04 Weeks• Gather data related to geological and meteorological parameters.
• Raw material and chemical usage

04 Weeks• Prepare survey format for inspection of industries (wastewater
discharge, sludge disposal, pollution control methods etc.)

04 weeks• Select sampling points (10 dug wells for each industry)) aroundthe identified industries and reference wells (5 wells)

02 Weeks

02 Weeks

44 Weeks

08 weeks• Mapping of locations (industries and wells)• Detailed survey on industries.

• Sample collection and analysis• Compilation of data and analysis• Preparation of final report with recommendation30

６. Benefits and Outcomes• To strengthen the capacity of local staff (industrial inspection andwater quality monitoring aspects)• Comprehensive data set on industrial pollution control measuresand surrounding water environment• Results can be applied on preparation of new regulation forindustrial siting• Data gathered could be incorporated in decision making underfollowing aspects:– a) Restrict industrial siting for selected industry types based on thestudy.
– b) Select industry types for the area including pollution control
techniques.
– c) Based on the sludge disposal in the area develop asludge disposal guideline which is not in existence at present.

31

7. Way Forward• Enforce the regulation on siting of industries thereby encourage industries
to select suitable sites with proper discharge modes.
• Policy decisions to be taken based on the results of ground watercontaminations in critical areas.
• Control chemical effluent discharges (land disposal)• Impose multiple discharge standards such as sea out fall, sewer systems,
inland surface waters• Limit over extraction of water by industries• Seek funds to establish regular and island wide monitoring programmeand enhance ground water quality

32

THANK YOU33