President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, on Thursday, urged the public to opt for tap water instead of buying bottled water.
During the inauguration of the water and sewerage project of Hulhumale' Phase Two, President Solih stated that his administration aims to reduce the use of plastic bottles and decrease the amount of expenses families spend on drinking water.
In order to achieve these targets, the President stated that water supply companies must ensure the water they produce is of the highest quality and safe for drinking.
President Solih attributed the water supplied by Male' Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) as the best water in the region.
Furthermore, the president stated that MWSC water holds a conductivity rating of 400-500, three times better than compared with the World Health Organization's conductivity standard of 1500, as confirmed by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Environment.
President Solih further questioned why citizens would spend MVR 5 on a single litre of water, compared to a price of MVR 0.06 per litre of tap water.
"In my heart, these are expenses we can save ourselves from right now. Starting from today, we can bring these changes. If we do, it will be an important step towards conserving the environment", said the president.
He declared safe drinking water a scarce commodity and that a large amount of the state budget is utilized to provide water.
Additionally, he stated that many islands have experienced thinning and subsequent contamination of their freshwater lens due to an increase of water extraction.
He iterated that the problem will gradually become worse.
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