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GWI buying generators for high demand areas -acquires special equipment to sense dangerous sewage gases
The GWI officials yesterday.
The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) says it is working to acquire more generators in the near future for several power stations in order to maintain a stable water supply during periods of power outage.
This was disclosed to media operatives during the utility company’s mid-year press conference held yesterday, at its Vlissengen Road head office.
Managing Director of GWI, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles, stated that particularly in large communities, which experience low voltage or power failures, there are often disruptions to the water supply. The Managing Director assured that GWI plans to alleviate this.
“In our proposal for support from the government, we’re seeking to purchase additional generator sets, especially for large populated areas. From a point of view of security, in some cases, if fires were to break out in these highly populated areas without generators we are unable to pump if there’s a blackout. So, we’re looking at this from a point of view of sustainable supply and security standpoint.”
In the interim, the water utility company has successfully placed a number of loggers in the supply system. These loggers will be recording, in real-time, when the water pressure in specific areas decreases.
Executive Director, Operations, GWI, Dwayne Shako said the team works on a 24-hour shift system and are immediately dispatched in emergencies.
“Once that pressure drops, we dispatch an operator to the site, he does an assessment to see what the issue is. If there’s a mechanical or electrical problem and we have to extract we move ahead in that regard. Many times, it’s just an issue of low voltage or we have a blackout. But with this system in place, it helps us to understand what is happening at these pump stations,” Shako explained.
GWI is also continuing to clean storage tanks on the coast and is flushing lines. Plans are underway to place more flusher valves in the lines to improve efficiency.
GWI’s treatment plants and about 15 percent of pump stations including those in Diamond and La Parfaite Harmonie are already equipped with generators.
There are over 140 pumps stations on the coastland and 400-plus wells in the hinterland.
Meanwhile, the state-owned water company says it has acquired special monitors to protect its sewage workers, another area that it is responsibility.
It has acquired several of monitors, costing about $500,000 each plus about $75,000 in gas, that will check for dangerous gases around the manhole areas of the sewage pumps.
Gases like methane and the levels, high and low, have to be picked up, GWI officials explained.
It is part of the bigger plan to protect staffers. Soon there will be showers, by the end of the next quarter, for these sanitation staffers and possibilities of them washing their overalls.
GWI had monitors before. These are more advanced. The idea eventually is to have more permanent monitors on site along with emergency supplies if there is a medical situation.
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