Fuvahmulah City Council says it is considering taking water samples and carrying out its own testing, despite the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA)’s assurance that the recently restored water supply in the city is safe to use.
The water service in Fuvahmulah City, which has a population of over 11,000 people, was cut off on Monday due to contamination and leakage issues in the city’s water grid, according to the water service provider, Fenaka Corporation.
MFDA, in a statement amid mounting concerns regarding the safety of the water, which was restored on Thursday, declared that the water is safe for use.
In this regard, the Authority said it had conducted tests on water samples taken from various areas Fuvahmulah City which had met the standards prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Speaking with Sun regarding the matter, Fuvahmulah City’s Northeast Constituency Councilor Abdulla Nasir Ahmed confirmed that Fenaka has completed restoring water supply to almost all areas in the city.
However, he noted that some households where cross connections have been done still remain without water supply, adding Fenaka has instructed some such households to fix the issue.
Nasir said the Council met with Fenaka officials when they began restoring the water supply and relayed the Council’s request to ensure the safety of the water.
“[We requested] to wait [restoring water supply] before ensuring this [ the safety of the water]. But, they began restoring water from yesterday onwards despite stating samples had been submitted for testing,” he detailed.
Nasir, referring to MFDA’s statement declaring the water is safe for use, raised concerns, citing that the declaration had come before the results of the test samples.
He added that there were many other concerns surrounding the matter as well.
“As the water is used for drinking by the residents and is directly related to their health, everyone would want to confirm the safety of the water supply that has been restored at a time when they are critically concerned regarding the matter,” he said.
Nasir expressed his belief that the results of test samples should be communicated to the relevant authorities. He noted that the Council has not yet received any such information and has so far only been informed of the water supply’s safety through MFDA’s statement.
Nasir added that the Council was mulling taking water samples and conducting their own tests to confirm the safety of the water through a third party.
“For example, to conduct tests through MWSC’s lab or privately. This is currently under discussion,” he said.
Nasir said the Council is presently seeking a party that will carry out the work for them once offices reopen on Sunday.
The government initially said the issue would be resolved within hours, but delays sparked frustration. On Wednesday, residents staged protests outside the water plant, demanding answers and immediate restoration of safe water access.