Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC) has revealed a significant water loss throughout the city due to numerous power outages by K-Electric in November.
A KW&SC spokesperson released a statement, which stated that the city drained nearly 884 million gallons of water in the month of November, adding that the interruptions were caused by pumps were not working for hours due to K-Electric’s frequent power outages.
The most significant impact was seen in the Dhabeji pumping station, where over 132 hours of continuous interruptions in electricity caused a loss in the amount of 424 million gallons.
Visit Times of Karachi website for the latest news-related content
It is also worth noting that the Dumlottee pumping station also experienced significant disruptions, with the power being suspended for 146 hours, which resulted in an additional 11 million gallons of water loss. The long-term suspensions put an enormous stress on the station’s operational capacity.
North East Karachi pumping station was among the most severe deficits, registering a shortfall of more than 350 million gallons.
Authorities said frequent interruptions to the pumping station made it difficult to keep a steady supply throughout various districts.
READ: Karachi Green line extension to resume with revised plan, new stations
Significant losses, though smaller in size, were reported at other facilities, with six million gallons of water each in Pipri and the Hub stations, as well as the Pipri stations. Gharo’s Gharo pumping station recorded an unsustainable deficit of 2 million gallons over this same time frame.
KW&SC officials have warned that frequent power failures not just disrupt supply, but also harm the delicate machinery used to pump water. They called on K-Electric to ensure uninterrupted power for all water pumping stations, to prevent regular shortages.
The spokesperson also said that KW&SC is working closely with K-Electric to stabilize the situation. The supply of water in many regions of Karachi is now back to normal following being restored to power to affected stations.
