When water turns agaisnt you........

The results of the drinking water tests we did for the village of Sooriyapokuna is not at all good. We did a coliform and faecal coliform test and both tests were positive.The villagers were told not to use the water without boiling, but I doubt whether it'll be taken seriously.

The results for hardness was way beyond the expected level. Usually they say that very hard water has a hardness level of 120ppm. Out of the five samples tested, the average hardness was around 1800ppm!The World Health Organization says that hardness in water is not a health hazard. And the doctors also agree that a little calcium in drinking water might even do some good. (Apparently the kidney stones which occur due to Calcium being deposited in the kidney cannot be related to drinking water)

But with the increase in number of villagers falling ill due to unknown causes, it's hard not believe there's nothing wrong with the water. So we've arranged another water sample to be taken this Sunday, and hopefully further study will shed some light into the real problem.

There was a recent research done in Anuradhapura that concluded drinking water and pesticides were not the reason that the villagers were getting sick; but rather it was the Aluminum pots and pans that were contaminating the food and water.

So if any of you are using metal pots and pans, check to see which material its made of. At least check whether they're made by a well-established brand. Using clay pots rather than metal might also help...