Health Minister Wael Abu Faour announced Thursday the launch of a new campaign to address water sanitation in Lebanese schools.
According to Abu Faour, the high levels of bacteria detected in water samples collected from Lebanese schools prompted the Health Ministry, in coordination with the Education Ministry, to launch the campaign.
“Forty-nine percent of samples that underwent bacterial tests failed to meet the necessary standards,” the health minister said, adding that his ministry collected 210 water samples from 190 private and public schools across Lebanon.
Abu Faour also touched on the responsibilities that other ministries must assume in the upcoming water safety campaign.
The Energy Ministry, he said, must ensure routine maintenance of water networks and guarantee that drinking and sewage water networks don’t mix. It must also addresses the quality of water facilities and disinfect water storage units, he added.
Education Minister Elias Bou Saab said that he will call on the Cabinet to allocate funds to ensure proper water treatment in schools.
The funds will enable the installation of water filters and allow routine maintenance work for water networks, Bou Saab said.
He added that 50 percent of schools inspected by the Health Ministry should be monitored for their compliance with water safety regulations, adding that at least 15 schools are in especially poor shape.
