In a concerning turn of events, environmental sanitation teams have confirmed bacterial contamination in all public and private groundwater sources in Derna. The Ministry of Local Government’s sanitation teams have also reported chemical and bacterial pollution in the seawater, attributed to the mixing of sewage water and decomposing bodies.
The sanitation administration is persistently working on water purification measures, which include the distribution of chlorine in granule form. In addition to this, they are also undertaking initiatives to educate and guide citizens on safe water usage practices.
The administration has indicated that the process of sample collection and analysis from various water sources will continue for several weeks. These samples will be analyzed in specialized laboratories, and subsequent actions will be determined based on the results and expert recommendations.
This initiative was launched in response to the comprehensive analyses conducted by the teams on water sources in devastated cities. This included analyses of water from the pipe dedicated to drawing seawater for the seawater desalination station and surrounding beaches in the Derna seaport basin area.
The desalination station plays a crucial role in providing fresh water to Derna and its surrounding areas, catering to the needs of residents. However, residents have been advised by the National Center for Disease Control not to use water from groundwater networks due to pollution caused by flood torrents.
Haider Al-Sayeh, head of the center, has assured that the situation is stable but has warned of diseases that can spread through contaminated water. He emphasized the importance of drinking sterilized water in affected areas.
