Average water demand for Kurunegala city ranges between 5000 – 7000 m³ per day where Deduru Oya is the primary source of raw water abstraction. However, water level of Deduru Oya significantly decrease in drought seasons affecting the raw water intake capacity. Hence, Kurunegala Lake which spans over 0.43 km² area, is used as a supplementary source to fulfill daily raw water demand. Even so, complaints from the public consuming treated water abstracted from the Kurunegala lake state that the water is of unpleasant taste, colour and bas odor. This could have caused by the increase in waste and wastewater generation in households, hotels, etc. and chemicals used in upper catchment area for cultivation led by the rapid urbanization of the KMC area.

Hence, Kurunegala Urban Lake Management Project was initiated with the objectives of assessing and remediating the water quality by improving the sub-urban catchment canals to protect the Kurunegala Lake. The project is a collaborative effort of University of Peradeniya-Sri Lanka, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute-Singapore, Kurunegala Municipal Council and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board.