– forced to dig new well at Turn Basin

DUE to the finding of high levels of mercury in the Kaituma River in Region One (Barima-Waini), the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has been forced to shut off the water intake from that source.

Based on a recent investigation, the company believes that effluents from mining operations at Port Kaituma are what caused the intrusion of mercury into the river.
The company had recently received reports that the water source could have been contaminated, so a team was dispatched to assess the situation.

Since the team’s discovery, the company has been working closely with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to “grapple” with the situation, said GWI Head of Water Quality, Deon Anderson during a press conference on Friday.

GWI has also taken samples from different parts of the river to determine the spread of the mercury. Those samples have been sent to the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) here, and a company in Trinidad for testing, the result of which should be available within two weeks.

Company Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles said that since one of its sources of water has been compromised, the GWI has started to drill a new well at Turn Basin, also in Region One.

“Emergency actions have been taken to drill another well; it is expected to be completed within another three to four weeks… When done, residents would have a significant relief,” Van-West Charles said.

Given the recent discovery of mercury intrusion in the Kaituma River, the company intends to test other water sources in the Region, especially those in areas where population exists along the rivers.

GWI is also considering the possibility of distributing filters to residents in communities close to creeks and rivers. The filters would be used to ensure that the water is safer for usage.

According to Dr. Van-West Charles, the company has also considered watershed management so as to ensure that water is safe.

National Toshaos Council (NTC) Chairman Nicholas Fredericks had during the recent conference told the Guyana Chronicle that there are three mining areas close to the village of Parabaram in the South Rupununi from where it is believed mercury originates.
He said the findings of a study undertaken by the South Rupununi District Council and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) brought to light the issue recently.

Mercury is used in the gold-mining industry and can be a threat to human health and the environment.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the substance is toxic to human health, posing a particular threat to the development of the child in the uterus and early in life. Human beings are expected to have a normal level of 10mg of the substance in their bodies.

In 2010, a study was done in several villages in the country’s hinterland, and it focused mainly on pregnant and lactating women.
Methyl mercury, a form of the substance, is of special concern for fetus, infants and children, because it impairs the development of their brain and nervous system.