The Central Environmental Authority has confirmed that drinking water from Nuwara Eliya's Gregory Lake poses serious health risks and could be fatal, with pollution levels significantly exceeding safe standards.
Water from Gregory Lake in Nuwara Eliya is unsafe for human consumption and poses a potentially fatal health risk, according to scientific findings presented by the Central Environmental Authority at a recent District Development Committee meeting. MP and Chairman of the Nuwara Eliya District Coordinating Committee Manjula Suraweera Arachchi disclosed the CEA's assessment, noting that the colonial-era lake has deteriorated into a highly polluted state over decades.
The deterioration stems from silted-up small reservoirs that originally fed the lake, allowing agricultural pollutants to contaminate its waters. Pesticides, fertilizers, and various chemicals used in up-country farming have altered the water composition dangerously. The CEA's data reveals severe deviations from safe levels: phosphate concentrations have risen to 1.04 milligrams compared to a normal standard of 0.20 milligrams, while nitrogen levels increased to 3.70 milligrams against a typical 0.50 milligrams. The biochemical oxygen demand has also reached 9.72 milligrams, all indicating substantial water quality degradation.
These elevated pollution markers collectively create conditions that threaten human health if the water is consumed. In response to the crisis, the Ministry of Environment, Urban Development Authority, and Irrigation Department have established a joint committee to develop remedial measures for addressing the contamination issue.
