Potable water: Third party validation of filtration plants sought

Minister also seeks laboratory exam of water samples obtained from these plants.

LAHORE: The provincial government has decided to seek third-party validation for its water filtration plants. The decision was taken by Minister for Housing and Urban Development Malik Tanvir Aslam Awan at a meeting to review installation of filtration plants.

He said the departments concerned should ensure independent validation of all reverse osmosis (RO) and ultra-filtration (UF) plants. He stressed that all technical aspects should be considered in these inspections. Water samples obtained from the plants should be sent to accredited laboratories for examination, he said.

He said all issues regarding inspections of plants before and after their shipment should be settled with pre-qualified vendors before installation of the plants. He asked the officials concerned to also ensure that issues regarding operation and maintenance of these plants were dealt with as a priority. He said a uniform policy should be adopted for all vendors to avoid unnecessary disputes. He said smooth transfer of operations of the filtration plants to the local governments should be ensured at the end of the three-year contract period.

The minister highlighted the need for operating the filtration plants at their full capacity. He said this would ensure that the largest possible number of people benefit from the project. He said efforts should also be undertaken to avoid waste of water at these plants. The meeting was also attended by the Saaf Pani Company CEO Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2016.