GWI dependent on public support to maintain sewerage system – PRO

Jan 12, 2011 News

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Efforts by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to maintain the integrity of the Georgetown sewerage system continues to be hampered by some persons who seek to dispose of undesirable items in the system.
This is according to GWI’s Public Relations Officer, Timothy Austin, who revealed that “people are still dumping the wrong kinds of things into the system and these lend to the overflow problems we face.”
But there have been some reductions, he noted, a development he attributes to the water company’s efforts to implement and sustain a public awareness programme.
“Although we are still having these problems, there has been some reduction because a lot of awareness was done, particularly last year, via the mass media, and other educational avenues.”
Educational activities also included the preparation and distribution of flyers, community interactions and the preparation of various advisories. These measures, Austin said, have served to create a higher level of awareness among the general public and hence has led to a noticeable reduction in the misuse of the system.
In addition, GWI has been able to maintain a school education programme which aside from promoting conservation of water, also has a focus, how to protect the sewerage system from misuse.
“That has been good because I know that a few parents have called to inform us that their children were a part of the programme and now they themselves (parents) are more enlightened about the sewerage system. Through their children, they were able to learn about ways to protect the system.”
But even with continued efforts to maintain the existing system, GWI’s Water Resources Engineer, Shimbhudyal Naitram, said that there is an urgent need for the support of citizens to help with the improvement of the integrity of the system. It was just last month that a contract valued at US$10M was inked between GWI and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to fund further rehabilitation works on the sewerage system.
Previously, other works were undertaken to improve a number of pumping stations to bolster the operation.
However, even as rehabilitation works are engaged, Naitram revealed that the GWI is dependent on its maintenance teams which operate on a daily basis to ensure that the system remains operable.
“We have a sanitation department that deals with all maintenance works. They deal with any complaints such as overflows that are reported,” he noted.
Grease traps
The use of grease traps has also been one of the measures that GWI has continually advocated for, and according to Austin, this move too has been embraced by a number of city businesses. He revealed that Sanitation Teams have been mandated to keep a log of all businesses utilising grease traps and those who are having them cleaned as the needs arises.
The cleaning of grease traps, he asserted, is required to be done based on their usage.
“We have had calls about their maintenance and so…there are a few restaurants and other eating places that we would normally visit to ensure that they are making use of grease traps.”
Those business places that are found to be without this mechanism, Austin said, are informed that it is in fact a requirement under the law.
“We have a Legal Department and so we send them legal letters warning them that they are in breach and we would take action if they do not adhere. But normally people would comply once they get a legal letter so we haven’t had to go all the way to court as yet.”
GWI officials had on numerous occasions lamented the failure on the part of some business owners to incorporate the use of grease traps. In fact, it was asserted that had efforts been made to ensure the use of the mechanism at an earlier point in time, the Georgetown Sewerage System could have been in a much better state.
It was in 2009 that the water company had sought to engage earnest steps to address the problems affecting the sewerage system by moving to emphasise the importance of restaurants and hotels having grease traps in place.
According to information from GWI, typical building codes require all such new or rebuilt facilities to install a grease interceptor to pre-treat grease entering a sewer.
“All units should be fitted with a standard final-stage sample box, and interceptors must typically be sized for at least a 30-minute peak waste water flow detention time from all contributory sources.”
The grease trap mechanism is expected to be placed under the sinks of these entities where greasy substances are allowed to exit. The grease traps or interceptors are passive devices required by municipalities to stop grease, fat, oil, wax or debris from entering the city’s sanitary sewer system.

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