THE New Amsterdam Rotary Club has initiated a multi-million dollar water filtration project that enables access to clean and potable water at learning institutions within the East Canje, New Amsterdam and East Bank Berbice districts.

The project, which is piloted by Rotary President Roger Greenidge, has seen the removal of impurities by minimising contamination of water filtration of the iron-laced and seemingly untreated well water being processed through the filtration system.

The system can filter over 500 gallons of water per day.

Water filtration removes impurities, inclusive of ferric and ferrous iron, eliminating the red stain and rust in sinks and other utensils.

Water with high amounts of iron and manganese can also have a rotten egg odour and the system will also eliminate this malodorous scent.

Iron generally occurs naturally in water and does not present a problem unless it exceeds around .3 PPM.

In some cases, some types of iron can form sludge deposits creating problems in wells, toilets and fixtures. If untreated, this rust will eventually stain fixtures and appliances and become permanent.

Canje Secondary School was the first beneficiary of the pilot project. The project at the school is being executed to the tune of $750,000. The money was raised from a fun-raising activity by the club.

The has club received support from other groupings and the Cumberland, Fort Ordinance Primary Schools in East Canje, along with Edinburg Nursery and Primary Schools along East Bank Berbice and St Therese’s Primary, which together have a student population exceeding 2000, are soon to benefit from the project.

The school’s Headmistress, Vanessa Chisolm, welcomed the initiative which she said will also be beneficial to the Home Economics Department.

“Previously, the department had to purchase filtered water to carrying on its operation on a regular basis. The canteen too had to purchase water, but in that case, the students had to buy the water as their need arise. So we are so grateful that we were included in the plans of the Rotary Club,” she concluded.

The New Amsterdam Rotary Club works collectively to promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, save mothers and children, support education and grow local economies.