Chlorine, not phenyl, being added to water: KWSB

The Karachi Water Sewerage Board (KWSB) has rejected social media reports of the mixing of phenyl instead of chlorine in water reservoirs to prevent the spread of Naegleria fowleri. The chief executive officer of the water board, Engineer Syed Sallahuddin Ahmed, said in a press statement on Friday that the KWSB is working day and night to prevent the spread of Naegleria fowleri, and the required dose of chlorine is being added to the water supplied to the citizens according to the standard and quantity set by the World Health Organisation.

Apart from this, he said it is also ensured that all hydrant cells of the water board add chlorine to the water. He said the KWSB is adding proper chlorine to the water through its nine filter plants located at six different locations in the city. In this regard, regular chlorine is being added from the Gharo Filter Plant, including COD Filter Plant, Hub Filter Plant, NEK old, NEK II, and Papri Filter Plant. Ahmed said all the filter plants are working round the clock for proper chlorination, while the KWSB uses about 240 chlorine cylinders per month. He said the board carries out chlorination in two stages: in the first stage, pre-filtration chlorination is done at about 1ppm, while in the second stage, it is carried out at 2pm.

Apart from this, the Lab Unit staff check the doses of chlorine in the water in different areas of the city. The KWSB CEO advised the consumers to keep all the underground and overhead tanks of the buildings properly clean on a monthly basis. He said the citizens should use one chlorine tablet in a 1,000-gallon tank, which is enough for 15 days. He said the KWSB, along with other related departments of the government, including the health department is engaged in the fight against Nigella virus; therefore, if we all follow all these precautions, we can be 100 per cent protected from it.