GWI claims water back to normal
Kaieteur News
April 4, 2007
After a week of being unable to provide its Georgetown customers with potable water, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) yesterday announced that the water quality is now back to normal.
This, according to the water entity's Scientific Services Manager, Savitri Jettoo, means that consumers can now utilise water being distributed from the Lamaha Canal for drinking and all other purposes.
She revealed that the company has been working assiduously over the weekend in collaboration with the East Demerara Conservancy Board to pump out the extremely sedimented section of the canal.
GWI was forced to discontinue its intake from the canal after maintenance works which were being conducted by the Conservancy Board caused discoloured water to invade it.
As such the company engaged several wells at its Vlissengen Road and Church Street facility as an alternative source.
This resulted in city consumers experiencing a massive reduction in water pressure.
Several customers began voicing their dilemma since some claimed they were even forced to buy water even to flush their toilets.
In this regard, GWI took a decision to meet the partial needs of its consumers as it stepped up its efforts to flush the canal of the unwanted sediments by distributing the discoloured water.
The company, at a press briefing last week, had urged its consumers to refrain from drinking the water even if it was boiled since the sediment level hindered purification measures.
But according to Jettoo, intense efforts to restore the water quality has resulted in the sediment level being significantly reduced, meeting a normal level to allow purification.
She explained that the development was realised yesterday after two successive tests. Further checks, she said, revealed that the water contained no bad bacteria, leaving GWI to conclude that the water is completely safe.
Jettoo pointed out too that the company will continue to conduct routine tests.
Meanwhile, she reiterated the company's decision to strengthen its collaboration with the Agriculture Ministry in hopes of preventing another water crisis.