July 22, 2004

Water Safety in Armenia

Yerevan - The Environmental Conservation and Research Center of the American University of Armenia and the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network, Yerevan Office hosted a free Environmental Panel Discussion on July 14, 2004, focusing on Water Safety and Water Supply in Armenia.

Based upon the Yerevan Water Company’s findings, there were only about 30 violations for bacterial contamination among the more than 10,000 samples taken last year. Panelists included Dr. Vladimir Davidyants, Chief Sanitary Doctor of the Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Health, Mr. Richard Walkling, Chief Executive Officer, Yervodokanal (Yerevan Canal Company), Mr. Eduard Mesropyan, Director, JINJ Environmental Consulting, and Dr. Charles Dunlap, Director, Environmental Conservation and Research Center, American University of Armenia. They raised some concern that these samples may not fully represent the quality of water that many people are drinking because the samples were not taken in the upper floors of buildings. However, it was noted that if the low levels of bacterial contamination in Yerevan are correct, this represents a dramatic improvement in the 15% contamination rate measured by AUA in 1995.

“Although Yerevan appears to have safer water than it did seven years ago, Ministry of Health data continue to show a 20-30% rate of bacterial contamination in Armenia’s rural water supplies,” stated Dr. Charles Dunlap, Director of AUA’s Environmental Conservation and Research Center. The panel discussion led to a commitment on improving public information on water testing carried out by the Ministry of Health and the Yerevan Water Company. The Ministry of Health committed to establishing a web site where findings could be publicly available, and the Yerevan Water Company also agreed to disseminate its data upon request.

AUA’s Environmental Research and Conservation Center has an ongoing interest in the conservation of Armenia’s surface water quality and research into health threats from drinking water contamination. In 2002, the Center designed and specified the equipment and procedures for a $500,000 water quality laboratory being built by USAID in the Ministry of Nature Protection. In 2003, the Center constructed a scientific research laboratory at AUA dedicated to water quality analysis. The lab is currently supporting a project to independently assess the safety of Yerevan drinking water samples collected from homes throughout Yerevan.

The Environmental Conservation and Research Center conducts research into conservation, ecology, environmental contamination, and sustainable development in the Republic of Armenia, and serves the community through education outreach programs and collaboration with local scientists and organizations. ECRC is funded by the generous support of Mr. Sarkis Acopian.