The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the Guyana Citizens Initiative (GCI) recently held a workshop on safe water with residents of Mocha Arcadia.

A press release from PAHO said on December 9 its Environmental Officer Dr Teofilo Monteiro, the water monitor from ECOCLUB Guyana and GCI’s Saudia Rahat met with 15 residents at the Mocha Arcadia Nursery School to discuss “pathways of water contamination and methods to purify water for drinking to reduce the incidence of water related illnesses in their community.”

The representatives taught the residents to use a water testing kit, donated by PAHO, by showing them how to test their water to determine how much chlorine solution was required for purification. Chlorination was one of several methods of water treatment taught. The representatives also discussed other treatment methods such as the use of solar disinfection, filtration and boiling.

Several persons, mostly women with their infants, posed questions to the representatives and were receptive to the demonstrations. Some residents requested more reading materials and other presentations for more members of the community.

PAHO said the presentation is one of several planned.