Use of nuclear techniques to study water resources

The Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) can find details of underground water resources using the equipment installed at its Hydrology Laboratory. An AEA release said there are many problems related to drinking water, especially in the North Central Province.

The release said it is necessary to find out the origin of the underground water and its behaviour, to solve this problem. Rain water also has to be analyzed for this study. Details of rain water differ from place to place.

AEA is in the process of analyzing water samples including rain water to solve the problem, the release said. These studies will pave the way to find the places where pure water could be found so that a programme could be implemented to provide pure drinking water. In some areas, ground water has salinity.

The Isotope Technique which is a nuclear technology, could be used to find the reason for salinity, it said. The studies conducted by AEA in Puttlam have revealed that the salinity is not due to sea water intrusion but due to a special soil type in underground layers. The release said it is possible to study seepage and leakage of reservoirs and dams using this technique.

The AEA in the recent past was able to detect a leakage in the Samanalawewa reservoir.