Govt mulls investing in inline water filter technology – Rodrigues

The Housing and Water Ministry is exploring the option of implementing inline water filter technology, which will give citizens access to drinking water through their taps.
This was revealed by Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, during a recent televised programme “The Guyana Dialogue”, where she outlined some of the Government’s plans to upgrade the water sector.
According to Rodrigues, this type of technology is cheaper, and once implemented it will be a long-term intervention.
“We also are looking to employ the inline filter technology, which can help us in other areas filter water so that people can have drinking water coming through their taps. This is another type of technology and it’s cheaper, it’s a filter that we’re putting in those areas that can last a very long time, it’s not a short-term intervention, it’s a long-term intervention,” Rodrigues announced.

She added that the Ministry is also seeking to upgrade and expand its transmission and distribution network so more communities can have access to water while reiterating that the Ministry has a goal to ensure that some 90 per cent of households along the coast receive treated water by 2025.
“We also have to spend a massive amount of money upgrading our transmission and distribution network to bring more water to the treatment plants and also to take more treated water from the treatment plants to more communities. So, a lot of our network has to be extended and so that’s why you have a lot of contracts you will see advertised for the extension of our distribution network to reach more communities to take treated water to them.”
The Minister further added that the Ministry is working aggressively to ensure that there is 100 per cent access to water in the hinterland by 2025. According to Rodrigues, there are many hinterland communities that do not have access to a water source and they rely on rainwater harvesting, creeks, or streams.
“The aim is to ensure we have 100 per cent access to water by 2025 because we have many communities in the hinterland that still do not have access to a water source. So, maybe they do rainwater harvesting or they get water from the creek or nearby streams. And in many cases, it is not nearby, they have to walk great distances,” Rodrigues explained.
“We have made tremendous progress in the hinterland through the construction of wells and installing photovoltaic systems, building reservoirs, trestles, and storage tanks to service communities in the hinterland,” she added.
She added that by the end of this year, there should be some 89 per cent water access across the hinterland.
“By the end of 2023 at the implementation of all of our programmes for this year, we would have improved access to 89 per cent. We have this well coordinated to ensure that by 2025, 100 per cent of our hinterland communities will have access to clean water.”
Rodrigues also outlined that a loan was approved by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for the construction of five water treatment plants across Guyana, which will see tenders going out soon for the construction of the project.
An inline water filter is a type of standalone water filter that is typically installed on a water line, with the water passing through the filter prior to the tap or appliance. There are two basic types of inline water filters. The first and most common type of inline water filter is the hassle-free under-sink inline filter system. These are ideal for providing filtered drinking water directly to your existing tap, without the need to install a separate drinking water faucet.
The second type is widely used for situations where it is necessary to filter your water prior to a fridge, coffee machine, caravan, or other purposes in an easy-to-install system.
The difference between an inline filter and a standard filter system is that they are generally used with your existing tap or outlet and don’t require a separate drinking water faucet. Inline water filters utilise different materials to remove contaminants from the water, just like standard filters. They are also available in a range of sizes, specifications, and ratings to suit your filtration requirements.