Water is an essential item

There was a promise to continue to write on water from the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute’s Nyam News. Before we continue let us see what is happening in Guyana.  A consumer reported from the McDoom/Agricola/Houston area that no water was made available to that area for five days, due to a defective transformer and children had to fetch water in buckets. On Monday she reported that children could not attend school as their uniforms could not be washed.

On Monday I telephoned Guyana Water Inc (GWI) and asked whether trucks with water could be sent to the area for the free delivery of water. When GWI falls down on delivery the company should arrange to send trucks with water. Water is an essential item.

Let’s us go back to Nyam News:
“Should good quality water not be available to you, or if for any other reason you decide that these contaminants are of concern to you, the following are your choices.

“Boiling
“Bring your water to the boil and let it remain boiling for at least five minutes. Boiled water stored in sterilized containers will keep for six months to one year. While the water may taste flat, it is safe to drink or use in cooking. A tip: boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers.

“Boiling will kill most microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals.

“Disinfecting
“You can use household bleach which contains chlorine, to kill microorganisms in your water. Do not use scented bleaches, colour-safe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners. The amount of bleach you add will depend on its concentration. Most regular household bleach is 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite. Use the following guide in adding bleach to water.

Percent chlorine      Add per gallon

1%                           40 drops

2-6%                        8 drops

7-10%                      4 drops

“Add bleach to water, stir or shake and let stand 30 minutes. You can use a small medicine dropper to do this. If the water does not have a slight bleach odour, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes. You can also use household iodine from the medicine cabinet – 20 drops per gallon of clear water and 40 drops per gallon of cloudy water. The iodine should be 2% United States Pharmacopeias (USP) strength.

“Water purification tables are another option. These tables are available at drug stores. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

“Disinfecting will kill most microbes but, as with boiling, will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals.”