City primary, nursery schools get improved water supply

DPI, GUYANA, Monday, April 9, 2018

A number of nursery and primary schools across Guyana will benefit from improved water supply as the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) conducted extensive water quality testing at various locations in its drive towards continuously improving its services.

Head of Water Quality at GWI, Deon Anderson told a meeting of journalists last Friday, April 06, that nursery and primary school children are known to frequent areas where the pipes are located, especially after play.

“It is, therefore, the mandate of the organisation to have the water quality of these learning institution guaranteed and consistently safe, according to the WHO.”

According to Anderson, many of the schools have black tanks which accumulate mostly rainwater. He said GWI has already encouraged schools to clearly separate the rainwater from those that would be used for drinking. This, Anderson said, will reduce the chances of health risks among the students.

GWI has already cleaned and disinfected more than 100 black tanks in primary and nursery schools around the city and is carrying out similar cleaning at other schools around the country.

GWI has been seeking, since 2015, to vastly increase output and improve quality of the water it provides. Following a study back in 2015, it was found that the water provided was not in regular standing with the World Health Organisation (WHO). Prior to 2014, the overall iron removal efficiency was poor.

“After conducting this study, we decided that interventions definitely had to be done to improve the water quality… as you know, I don’t have to tell you what effect the iron can have on your tiles and clothes and therefore it is important for this parameter and the overall treatment process to be improved,” Anderson said.

Further improvements include the increase in water distribution hours from 17:00hrs per day to 24 hours. Prior to 2015, the water supply was shut off daily at 22:00hrs.  Water pressure has also increased from 10 Pumps Per Square Inch (PSI) to 20 PSI throughout the day. This now allows buildings, with the second and third floors, to have access to water.

 

By: Alexis Rodney