There have been no new complaints regarding the quality of the water supply in Fuvahmulah City, according to the city council.
Fuvahmulah had suffered an interruption to its water supply on November 10, depriving over 11,000 people who live in the city of access to water for three days. The state utility service, Fenaka Corporation, attributed the issue to contamination and leaks.
The company disinfected the pipeline and storage tanks and resumed water services on November 13. However, despite the insistence by the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) following tests that the water in the city fits the World Health Organization (WHO)’s standards for safety, multiple residents continue to complain that the tap water remains discolored and carries a foul odor.
Many posted photos on social media, showing the discoloration.
Photos shared by Fuvahmulah residents allegedly of tap water.
Abdulla Nasir Ahmed, a councilman from the city, told Sun on Tuesday that while the city council hasn’t received any new complaints regarding the clarity of the water, they did receive one on Friday regarding the chlorine level being too high.
Nasir blamed the issues Fuvahmulah faced on the failure to address the issues raised in a 2023 performance audit report on the city’s sanitation project.
The report warned of a high level of bacteria in Fuvahmulah’s groundwater supply. It also noted that the coliform and fecal coliform levels were unknown because it hadn’t been included in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) done before the project commenced.
Noting the disruptions to water services in November, Fenaka has announced it will not be billing customers in Fuvahmulah for water usage that month.