Coordinators: Professor Tissa Illangasekare of Colorado School of Mines is the US coordinator of this effort.

[Project Diary]

Funding: Major funding is provided by LAcNet. Funds for this project are also provided through LAcNet by: [Sri Lanka Society, University of British Columbia, Canada]

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING GOOD FOLKS: IDEXX Laboratories has donated a large quantity of its Colilert test kits for field testing coliform bacteria in the affected areas in Habantota and Tangalle, Sri Lanka. LAcNet thanks IDEXX Laboratories for its generous contribution in this hour of need. DHL UK has offered to freight a supply of chlorine tablets from UK to Sri Lanka for free. Team Tsunami, Connecticut, USA, for donating 500 coliform test kits. HydraChem Limited, UK, for donating 20000L capcity water purification tablets.

Goals

A project has been initiated by LacNet in the areas affected by tsunami flooding in Sri Lanka with the goal of protecting and decontaminating the drinking water wells. These wells provide potable water to displaced people who are concentrated in refugee camps, temples, and churches. In the long term, the affected wells have to be decontaminated through pumping and using chemicals. The initial focus will be in Hambantota and Thangalla areas to install 100 temporary toilets and protect 25 wells.

Statellite picture thanks to SERTIT, France

There are many unknowns, as this type of operation has not been attempted under such extraordinary circumstances. If successful, the United Nations and other international organizations will use the project as a pilot for similar efforts that will be initiated in other affected areas. LacNet believes that the success will depend on participation of the local people and their ownership of the project. We will work with the Sri Lankan participants to develop a sustainability plan that relies on people from the affected communities when they are able to participate and contribute. The project will start on January 3rd.

Immediate action:

1. Build temporary toilets- the main source of contamination is from coliform bacteria whose source is animal and human waste. The presence of these bacteria is an indication of other disease-producing organisms.
2. Protect and decontaminate wells by pumping and chemical disinfecting.
3. Supply field test kits to detect the bacteria.
4. Train local volunteers to assist and conduct long-term monitoring using the test kits.

Project Team

Retired navy commander Mr. Champaka Paulis, who is a civil engineering graduate of the Sri Lankan Defense Academy and the University of Moratuwa, will lead this effort. Mr. Paulis and ten of his associates will initially train about sixty students from Colombo University to work as volunteers. In addition, boy scouts are also expected to volunteer. LacNet will only be providing funds for the purchase of equipment, supplies and food for the volunteers.

The labor is fully volunteered. LacNet volunteers in US will assist with technical issues related to groundwater, wells, water testing and training. Some of the LacNet US volunteers will visit Sri Lanka at a later time to work on more long-term issues related to developing water supply when the displaced people return to their homes. The US team members are in contact with scientists at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) located in Colombo to initiate this effort.

Cost

LacNet has committed US$6600 for this phase of the project. These funds will be used to purchase equipment (pumps and portable generators), supplies (barrel for toilets and accessories), transportation, and food for the volunteers. The labor is fully volunteered.