The 2027 Budget allocates Rs 77 billion for drinking water and sanitation, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament on Thursday, spread across six named construction projects and a set of smaller programmes.
The named projects, as reported by the Daily Mirror, each receive a 2027 tranche against a much larger total cost:
| Project | 2027 allocation | Total estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Kilinochchi Water Supply | Rs 1.8 billion | Rs 41.14 billion |
| Greater Galle City Water Supply | Rs 3 billion | Rs 37.501 billion |
| Kundasale–Haragama Water Supply | Rs 1.8 billion | Rs 34.368 billion |
| Eheliyagoda Water Supply | Rs 1 billion | Rs 4.775 billion |
| Haldummulla–Beragala Water Supply | Rs 700 million | Rs 3.262 billion |
| Yatimahana–Ma Oya Water Supply | Rs 300 million | Rs 22.158 billion |
The Greater Kilinochchi scheme covers the Karachchi, Kandavalai, Poonakary and Pachchilaipalli divisions. The Greater Galle allocation is to commence construction.
The smaller programmes
| Programme | Allocation |
|---|---|
| 13 new water supply projects — Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Nagadeepa, Valachchenai, Kotte | Rs 5.19 billion |
| Improving existing schemes and sanitation facilities | Rs 12 billion |
| Community-based water supply schemes | Rs 2 billion |
| Wastewater management — Ella, Moratuwa, Ekala | Rs 1.74 billion |
| Addressing water quality in Jaffna and the Vanni | Rs 1 billion |
| Feasibility studies in industrial areas | Rs 250 million |
The arithmetic
The twelve itemised lines above come to roughly Rs 30.8 billion — about 40 per cent of the Rs 77 billion headline. The filing does not account for the remaining Rs 46 billion or so, which on past water budgets would cover the National Water Supply and Drainage Board’s operations, debt service on existing project loans, and schemes not named in the speech.
The six named projects are also plainly multi-year: their 2027 tranches total Rs 8.6 billion against combined estimated costs of about Rs 143 billion. Greater Kilinochchi draws 4 per cent of its total cost next year, Yatimahana–Ma Oya barely 1 per cent.
Context
A heavy weighting toward the north and east is visible across the list — Kilinochchi, Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Nagadeepa and Valachchenai all appear, alongside a dedicated Rs 1 billion for water quality in Jaffna and the Vanni, where groundwater salinity and contamination have been persistent problems.
Sourcing note
The Daily Mirror was the only verified newsroom to have filed on the water and sanitation allocation at the time of writing, so this report carries a single verified source. Searches across other verified outlets returned only pre-budget coverage and Budget 2026 allocations, including a Rs 85,700 million figure that belongs to last year’s budget and does not appear above.
Not reported
The filing gives no completion dates, does not say which projects are donor-funded, and does not break down the Rs 12 billion for existing schemes and sanitation. It does not state how many households the Rs 77 billion is expected to connect, nor what share of the population currently lacks piped water.