–at Rose Hall water treatment plant

THE Guyana Water Inc on Thursday commissioned a mini laboratory at the Rose Hall Town Water Treatment Plant to aid in the distribution of quality water, in compliance with World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.
The lab, which was built at the cost of approximately $4M, will service four treatment plants in the Region and 26 pump stations.
GWI Managing-Director, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles while delivering the feature address, alluded to GWI’s mission of providing not only potable water but safe drinking water, and with the lab in place they can collect samples to be able to verify and prove that water is safe via testing in the labs.

“The test we have done so far, we can say to you that the results are of the parameters set out by the World Health Organisation,” Dr Van-West Charles said, adding:
“Looking at the microbiology, the iron content, PH etc, it is good to say that this plant is in compliance with WHO Standards, so the residents receiving water from this plant can safely drink the water from the tap.”

He said that with the lab in place, testing will be done on a daily basis to ensure that the water is safe. He said, too, that the results will be made available to the public via the company’s ‘App’, which was due to be launched on Friday for public scrutiny and information.

“What has happened, in terms of strategy, we have started intensely in setting up a series of laboratories across the country, beginning with Shelter Belt, which tests the water on an hourly basis, because Georgetown is so different from so many other bases which takes surface water,” Dr Van-West Charles said.
“So we have to ensure the water we are putting out is well treated and is safe. For us to be able to know that, we must have laboratories in place.”
Added to that, he said the GWI will be placing emphasis on schools across the country to ensure that water accessed by the children is safe.

And a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Education will intensify work in the hinterland, to ensure equity in terms of all the parameters for development.
As to quality control, Dr Van-West Charles said that GWI is currently in the process of getting national certification for its main laboratory, and is also making steps for ISO certification early next year.

As a backup to ensure safe drinking water for all, plans are also afoot to establish a reference laboratory to cross-check the samples and results done by the mini labs.
Meanwhile, Divisional Manager Jawaharalall Ramjug said the establishment of the lab is a significant step for operations of the company in Berbice and will help boost the quality of water provided in the region and make it easier to have WHO standard quality water available to Berbicians in a shorter period of time.

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Ms. Patricia Chase-Green in her remarks noted that spending $4M on establishing the lab does not underscore the real value it brings to the region, since its establishment will aid in identifying and treating many water borne disease to its thousands of customers, and four water treatment plants in the region.