Superchlorination drive launched by Coimbatore Corporation
As chances of water contamination are high during the rainy season, local bodies have launched superchlorination of water supplied to households to prevent water-borne diseases.
While residual chlorine of two parts per million is considered the best way of disinfecting water, local bodies have been asked to increase it to three to four parts per million in overhead tanks.
Though chlorine level of 3-4ppm is ensured in overhead tanks, by the time water reaches households, the level drops to 0.2ppm, an official of the Sirumugai town panchayat said. “Health inspectors will regularly check the ppm level to ensure that the supplied water is potable, ” he added.
Water can get contaminated due to pipeline leaks. “The 13 block health offices in the district have been asked to coordinate with the respective panchayats to carry out super chlorination,” deputy director of health services P Aruna said.
Contaminated water can transmit diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid and hepatitis-A, said paediatric surgeon Dr D Vijayagiri. “It can also spread rat-borne diseases, posing threat to children and elders alike. While chlorination kills most of the bacteria, the concentration should not be more than the permissible limit, as it may lead to other health issues,” he said. Here are some tips for people to save themselves from water contaminated diseases:
Wash hands frequently. Disinfect food preparation areas with Hysan surface spray to kill 99.99% of germs in 30 seconds. Don’t trust bottled water sold by locals, some bottles may be filled with tap water which is then sealed and sold as purified water.
Boiling is sufficient to kill pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protozoa. If water is cloudy, let it settle and filter it through a clean cloth, water towel, or coffee filter. Bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute.
Meena
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