– after quality of water did not meet WHO standard
The Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) has ordered 10 water processors to cease operations after the quality of drinking water has not satisfied the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards
This was following a survey conducted in Georgetown and its immediate environs during the period October 2020 and January 2021.
In a release issued by the GA-FDD, it stated that a total of 160 water samples were taken by Inspectors of the department and submitted to its Food Microbiology laboratory where the test parameters for Total Coliform and E. coli were performed- a test that gives a general indication of the sanitary and safety condition of the water supplied.
This survey was conducted to determine whether the sanitary and or microbiological requirements as outlined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard for drinking water quality were being met.
However, of the 160 samples submitted, 109 or 68 percent were found to be satisfactory, while 51 or 32 percent were found to be unsatisfactory for the parameters tested.
As such, the department then had cause to with immediate effect ask ten water processors to cease operations and there were only allowed to resume operations after satisfying sanitary and microbiological safety requirements in the best interest of the consuming public.
Environmental Health Officers (EHO’s) or Sanitary Inspectors who work collaboratively with Inspectors of the GA-FDD have been alerted to the survey findings and would be conducting a similar survey among water processors in through the country.
“Only 25 of the 46 water processors who participated in the survey were in possession of the Water Treatment & Basic Sanitation certificate issued by Empretec Guyana Inc. and this is another basic requirement that water processors must fulfill, in order to be licenced or be approved to process,” the
Below is a list of licenced or approved water processors in Guyana.
