Residents of Ituni can now have access to treated water following yesterday’s launch of the “Ituni Bio-Sand Filter” by the Guyana Water Incorporated.
Yesterday’s launch was the beginning of a special programme, to encourage the use of the filters in each household in the community. The filters are expected to make the creek water safe for consumption, since they remove more than 95% of the bacteria found in the water.
Karan Singh, the Chief Executive of GWI, in his feature address, stated that the filter is perfect for Guyanese residing in the hinterland regions since sand and gravel (two essential ingredients for the functioning of the filter) are abundant in this region. He explained that he had first heard about the device when he was working with a water company in Canada and felt that it would be perfect for Guyana.
He said that “God works in mysterious ways’” and now he is managing the local water company and is able to implement this project. The Chief Executive added that over the last ten years GWI has spent over $US6M in improving the water supply in the hinterland region.
Singh further stated that the filters were cost effective since they spared the company the problem of building a treatment plant in the area, which he said would have been too expensive. He added that in putting the filters to use, the residents of Ituni will be empowering themselves since they will be improving their water quality without an additional expense. GWI is expected to aid in the distribution by supplying the residents with the filter moulds. Singh said that by next October, he hopes that all 172 households in the community will be equipped with a household bio-sand filter.
According to GWI’s Scientific Services Manager Savitri Jetoo, the filter has been successfully used in several countries including Brazil, Haiti, El Salvador, Angola, the Dominican Republic and India. She explained that the water company had held workshops with residents of the community to educate them about the filters. Jetoo said that the residents were very enthusiastic about the new technology being brought to the community.
Meanwhile, leader of the Ituni Bio-sand Filter Team, Melroy George welcomed the introduction of the filter to the community since he said the quality of the water had been a major concern for a long time. He urged members of the community to embrace the project since it provided a cheap way of bringing improvement to a worrying situation.
The bio-sand filter is a modification of the conventional slow sand filter, for household use. It is made of a concrete container, enclosing layers of sand and gravel that serve to eliminate sediments, pathogens and other impurities from the water. The water is expected to be safe for consumption after 3 days. Similar projects are expected to be launched in other areas of the country shortly. (Mark McGowan)
