KWA to open effluent testing lab to keep tabs on industries

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is all set to open an effluent testing laboratory at Athiyannoor to monitor the operations of industrial units in the state capital and assess the magnitude of pollution they generate.
The plan is to establish the laboratory adjacent to the water testing laboratory. It will make use of the Rs 3 crore allocated by the state govt in the budget for setting up laboratories to monitor the quality of drinking water and hazardous substances in the treated sewage water discharged by factories and industries into various rivers and streams.
Currently, two effluent testing laboratories are operational at the sewage treatment plants in Muttathara and medical college.However, these laboratories only check the quality of the treated effluent at these plants and do not analyze external samples.
The new laboratory will have the capability to test up to 18 parameters, including PH, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, suspended solids, conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, sulphate, copper, zinc, etc.
According to a KWA official, the equipment for the laboratory will cost only Rs 15 to 20 lakh. “After establishing the laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram, additional labs will be set up in the remaining districts,” the official said.
It was also learned that KWA has invited tender for the equipment as well.
“The recent report by the National Green Tribunal cautioned the district administration about the urgency of implementing measures to reduce the pollution level at Karamana and Killi rivers. The issue is not isolated, as several other water bodies in the district are also polluted due to the unmonitored dumping of improperly treated effluents,” the official said.
The establishment of the new laboratory will enable the public to test water samples from these rivers at a relatively lower cost, raising awareness about the level of pollution in the water bodies in their respective areas, he said, adding that regular monitoring of water quality will help develop a sense of pollution among the public, and it will call for action.
KWA also sees it as a good source of revenue. “The laboratories established for testing the quality of water were a good source of income for the cash-strapped KWA. In the year 2020, KWA earned Rs 6.7 lakh from the labs and the revenue rose to Rs 9 lakh, over Rs 14 lakh, and over Rs 15 lakh in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. Similarly, these effluent laboratories will also contribute to KWA's revenue,” the official said.