…was refused for use in Haiti, fails to meet WHO targets
Decontamination of water being supplied by the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) to its hundreds of thousands of customers, is being done using a chemical that has not only been abandoned and without certification from the US National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) but has failed to demonstrate its ability to meet the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) limited protection microbiological performance targets.
GWI for decades has been using chlorine to decontaminate its water that is distributed to customers before it switched to the highly questionable Antinfek.
Guyana Times understands that the matter was recently raised at the level of GWI’s executive meeting when it was discovered that Antinfek was procured, being used and will be used for disinfection at different locations within GWI.
This newspaper has since seen internal communication at GWI, which points to the fact that the GWI’s Scientific Services Manager, had vehemently objected to its use.
According to the communications seen by this publication, the meeting heard that online information with regard to Antinfek suggests that the product has failed to gain certification by NSF. It was also reported to the GWI Management that the trademark application made for Antinfek has a status of ‘abandoned’ since December 2006 as the applicant’s failed to file a ‘statement of use’.
Powerful bio-polymer
Antinfek is manufactured by Dovebiotech Group of Companies which describes the chemical as a powerful organic bio-polymer-based compound, effective in decontamination of water against waterborne diseases, bacterium and fungi.
Internal communication seen by Guyana Times corroborate reports that the GWI Scientific Services Manager, in outlining objections to the use of the chemical pointed out that not only is the information on the product label insufficient and incomplete but “to date we have not been able to source equipment to test for Antinfek in water and as a department, we cannot monitor its use.”
It was pointed out too that research suggests that the chemical was not recommended for approval for household water treatment distribution in Haiti, which had no NSF certification for drinking water use.
The chemical was also not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for treating drinking water nor did it demonstrate its ability to meet the WHO limited protection microbiological performance targets.
Speaking to a GWI insider close to the issue, Guyana Times was told that the lack of information on the chemical in addition to the information available about the chemical should have been enough for the utility company to take stock and halt its use.
This newspaper was told given the consequences regarding the treatment of water for use by citizens against waterborne diseases, every effort should have been made to ensure that a trustworthy chemical is being used.
