With the start of the pre-monsoon season, health agencies, including the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, are preparing to carry out testing of drinking water samples.

“We will resume testing of drinking water samples soon, as rainwater could contaminate drinking water sources,” said Shree Bhadra Sharma, a lab technician at the Health Office, Lalitpur. “Testing drinking water not only helps in taking measures to ensure the safety of drinking water sources from contamination but also makes people aware about the risks of consuming contaminated water.”

According to the Health Office, Lalitpur, the regular testing of drinking water samples had been halted for the last three months.

The testing was halted citing lack of sufficient human resources. But officials also blamed the complacency that water resources would not get contaminated during the dry seasons for the halt. It was discontinued not only in Lalitpur but in almost all local units throughout the country.

Contaminated drinking water is a perennial issue in the country, with no resolution in sight despite years of investment. Due to poor sanitation and hygiene conditions, Nepal is highly vulnerable to water-borne diseases, including diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis, and cholera, with thousands of people falling sick every year.

Every year, dozens of people get infected with deadly cholera, and thousands get infected with diarrhoeal diseases due to the consumption of contaminated water.

Last year, the country witnessed a massive cholera outbreak during monsoon. At least 95 cases of cholera infection were confirmed in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Kailali, Pyuthan, Makawanpur, Rolpa, Sindhupalchok, Achham and Rautahat districts.

Health officials said that the Vibrio cholera 01 Ogawa serotype was found in the stool samples of the infected patients. Hundreds of people suffered from the outbreaks that continued for months.

In 2022, too, the Kathmandu Valley witnessed a massive cholera outbreak with at least 77 confirmed cases. Officials said that the outbreaks were reported in districts that have active case surveillance programmes. Active cholera surveillance is being carried out from 27 health facilities in the Valley and 10 in the Kailali district.

Sharma conceded that a halt in the testing of drinking water samples does not mean one would not get infected with waterborne diseases, as testing of water samples carried out in winter also found contaminated with deadly microbes.

“Two out of 14 water samples tested in January this year were found contaminated with faecal coliform,” said Sharma. “This means one should ensure safety before drinking water.”

Faecal coliform, a microscopic organism, lives in the intestines of warm-blooded animals or in their faeces.

The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division said that it is preparing to start testing drinking water samples daily at the National Public Health Laboratory.

“Samples of drinking water will be collected randomly for the tests,” said Dr Mukesh Poudel, chief of the Epidemiology and Outbreak Management Section at the division. “We hope that regular tests of drinking water will help in taking measures against risk factors and also in making people aware of it.”

Health experts say regular water quality monitoring is essential, especially in monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, when most drinking water sources become contaminated due to flooding.

Even jar water, which is generally considered safer compared to water from other sources, are often found contaminated with deadly microbes—E coli and faecal coliform.

Experts advise the public to ensure their water is safe for drinking. They say consuming contaminated water not only causes diarrheal infections and deadly cholera, but also increases the chances of contracting diseases like dysentery, typhoid, and hepatitis A and E.

According to them, launching awareness drives and ensuring access to safe drinking water are the only ways to protect people from water-borne diseases.

Meanwhile, 30 districts, including Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, are designated highly vulnerable to cholera outbreaks due to poor water and sanitation conditions in those areas.

These districts often witness outbreaks of diarrhoeal ailments during the monsoon and have been designated as high-risk districts for cholera outbreaks, according to officials at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.