Initial Environmental Examination Report Project Number: 37381 November 2012 Sri Lanka: DRY ZONE URBAN WATER AND SANITATION PROJECT - for Vavuniya Water Distribution and Septage Prepared by Project Management Unit for Dry Zone Urban Water and Sanitation Project, Colombo, Sri Lanka. For Water Supply and Drainage Board Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage, Sri Lanka. This report has been submitted to ADB by the Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage and is made publicly available in accordance with ADB’s public communications policy (2011). It does not necessarily reflect the views of ADB. Project Implementation Agency: National Water Supply & Drainage Board Funding Agency: Asian Development Bank Project Number: 37381-SRI Sri Lanka: Dry Zone Urban Areas Water Distribution and Sanitation Project (DZUWSSP) INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION: VAVUNIYA WATER DISTRIBUTION AND SEPTAGE NOVEMBER 2012 2 CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 6 A. Purpose of the report ............................................................................................................................ 6 B. Extent of IEE study ............................................................................................................................... 6 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT..................................................................................................... 1 A. Type, Category and Need ..................................................................................................................... 1 B. Location, Size and Implementation Schedule ...................................................................................... 1 C. Description of the Sub-projects ............................................................................................................. 2 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................... 12 A. Physical Resources ............................................................................................................................ 12 B. Ecological Resources ......................................................................................................................... 17 C. Economic Development ...................................................................................................................... 18 D. Social and Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................... 21 IV. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION: CONSTRUCTION PHASE ............................... 23 A. Screening out areas of no significant impact ...................................................................................... 23 B. Augmentation of Water Supply and Treatment .................................................................................. 24 C. Improving the Water Supply Network ................................................................................................. 26 D. Sanitation ............................................................................................................................................ 30 V. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION: OPERATIONAL PHASE.................................. 33 A. Screening out areas of no significant impact ...................................................................................... 33 B. Water Supply ...................................................................................................................................... 33 C. Sanitation ............................................................................................................................................ 36 VI. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION: LOCATION AND DESIGN ............................... 40 VII. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN ..................... 42 A. Summary of environmental impacts and mitigation measures ........................................................... 42 B. Institutional arrangements for project implementation ........................................................................ 42 1 C. Environmental Monitoring Plan ........................................................................................................... 49 D. Environmental management and monitoring costs ............................................................................ 54 VIII. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE .................................................... 56 A. Project stakeholders ........................................................................................................................... 56 B. Consultation and disclosure to date.................................................................................................... 56 5. Table 9: Comments made at public consultation meeting .................................................................. 57 C. Future consultation and disclosure ..................................................................................................... 58 IX. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................... 60 A. Findings .............................................................................................................................................. 60 B. Recommendations .............................................................................................................................. 62 X. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................................. 63 APPENDIX 1: Environmental Management Plan for Puthunkulam Reservoir………………………………..70 APPENDIX 2: Current Sri Lankan drinking water standards (1996)…………………………………………..73 APPENDIX 3: Existing Sri Lankan wastewater discharge standards (1990)…………………………………75 APPENDIX 4: Draft new wastewater discharge standards (2008)………………………………………….....76 APPENDIX 5: Summary of public consultation meeting held in Vavuniya……………………………………77 Addendum 1…………………………………………………………………………………….80 2 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Water supply, sanitation and drainage subprojects proposed in Vavuniya ................................. 5 Table 2: Water quality of Per Aru from a sample taken in October 2007 ................................................. 16 Table 3: General groundwater quality in Vavuniya .................................................................................. 17 Table 4: Fields which have less significant impacts in construction ........................................................ 23 Table 5: Fields which have less significant impacts in operation ............................................................. 33 Table 6: Environmental impacts and mitigation........................................................................................ 43 Table 7: Environmental Monitoring Plan .................................................................................................. 51 Table 8: Environmental management and monitoring costs .................................................................... 55 Table 9: Comments made at public consultation meeting ....................................................................... 57 Table 11: DZUWSSP management and implementation institutions ....................................................... 71 3 FIGURES Table 1: Water supply, sanitation and drainage subprojects proposed in Vavuniya ................................. 5 Table 2: Water quality of Per Aru from a sample taken in October 2007 ................................................. 16 Table 3: General groundwater quality in Vavuniya .................................................................................. 17 Table 4: Fields which have less significant impacts in construction ........................................................ 23 Table 5: Fields which have less significant impacts in operation ............................................................. 33 Table 6: Environmental impacts and mitigation........................................................................................ 43 Table 7: Environmental Monitoring Plan .................................................................................................. 51 Table 8: Environmental management and monitoring costs .................................................................... 55 Table 9: Comments made at public consultation meeting ....................................................................... 57 Table 11: DZUWSSP management and implementation institutions ....................................................... 71 4 PHOTOGRAPHS Photo 1: Per Aru river at Puthunkulam ..................................................................................................... 64 Photo 2: RCC tanks for water treatment .................................................................................................. 64 Photo 3: Road from intake to WTP ........................................................................................................... 64 Photo 4: Overhead Reservoir in Vavuniya ............................................................................................... 64 Photo 5: Proposed location of WTP ........................................................................................................