The Fuvahmulah city council has decided to test the island's water supply after the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) refused to disclose the results of the laboratory tests.
In a statement, the city council said the tests required to ensure that the water supplied to the residents is safe will be conducted through an independent body.
“While it is also the responsibility of the council to ensure the provision of safe drinking water services, the council has decided to conduct the necessary tests through an independent body to ensure that the water supplied to the people of Fuvahmulah is safe,” the council said.
It added that the council would work to conduct these tests on a regular basis.
The Utility Regulation Authority has asked Fenaka to ensure water safety. The city council has urged Fenaka not to supply water to the people without complying with the authority's orders.
The council also urged the people to be careful in using the water, as there were questions about the safety of the water.
The council said it was working to accelerate the project to provide bottled water to the people of Fuvahmulah.
The council said the matter will be reported to the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) as the people are being deprived of adequate, safe water.
The council has also decided to file a case with the court seeking an order on Fenaka to ensure that the water supplied to the city is safe to use and to strictly adhere to the standards required to be held in its water supply.
The water service in Fuvahmulah was suspended after laboratory tests showed it was contaminated. But the service resumed two days later.
However, people from Fuvahmulah have been complaining about smelly and discoloured water even after Fenaka resumed the service.
The water supply in Fuvhamulah got contaminated due to damage to parts of the water network. Some chemicals that kill bacteria are not available in the city.
There are currently more than 150 tourists in the city with a population of more than 10,000.
