…standards for several others deficient, water dirty
A number of water processors are operating illegally without the requisite license and approvals from the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD), which also said that many of them are selling dirty water to the public.
In a press release the department said that the findings of a water processing survey that was conducted among forty-six processors in Georgetown and its immediate environs revealed that a number of the companies were not in compliant with the safety requirements for their operations.
The survey exercise was conducted during the period October 2020 and January 2021. According to the department a total of 160 water samples were taken by inspectors of the department and submitted to the 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 / exercise was therefore conducted to determine whether the sanitary / microbiological requirements as outlined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard for drinking water quality were being met,” the release stated.
According to the department of the 160 samples submitted, 109 or 68% were found to be satisfactory, while 51 or 32% were found to be unsatisfactory for the parameters tested. 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 worked collaboratively with Inspectors of the GA-FDD have been alerted to this survey/exercise findings and would be conducting a similar survey among water processors in their regions, the release stated.
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 department stated.
| N0 | NAME OF WATER BUSINESS | ADDRESS |
| 1 | Ultra Valley Water | Lot 1665 Tuschen, New Scheme, East Bank Demerara |
| 2 | Edmond Durban Grumbal | Lot 13 Public Road, Three Friends, Essequibo Coast |
| 3 | Clear Spring Purified Water | Lot 35 Goed Intent, W.B.D |
| 4 | D & L Purified Refill Water | 7 & 8 Public Road, La Grange, W.B.D |
| 5 | D & L Purified Water | 153 Public Road Nismes, W.C.D |
| 6 | Blue Natural Spring | 151 Public Road, Zeeburg, W.C.D |
| 7 | Blue Ribbon Manf.Guyana Inc | 97 West Meer-Zorg, W.C.D |
| 8 | Banks D.I.H | Thirst Park, Georgetown |
| 9 | Demerara Distillers Limited | Plantation Diamond, E.B.D |
| 10 | Rafeena Mohamed | Lot 13, # 78 Village, C/tyne, Berbice |
| 11 | Amazon Water Depot | Lot 2232 Section’C’, Block X, Housing Scheme, Diamond, E.B.D |
| 12 | Aquafina Water & Ice | Lot 160 Section D, Non Pariel, E.C.D |
| 13 | Rajendra Jai Jai Ram | Lot 2 A, Balgobin Street, Rose Hall, Berbice |
| 14 | Pure Aqua | Lot 420 4th ,Herstelling, E.D.B |
| 15 | First Choice Purified Water | 335 Tuschen, New Scheme, E.B.D |
| 16 | Shield Waters | Lot 1356 Section ‘A’, Block X, Diamond, E.B.D |
| 17 | Optimum Pure Water | Lot 22 Public Road, Nabaclis, E.B.D |
| 18 | Balram Water Store | Lot 7 Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast |
| 19 | Pure Plus Water | Lot 34 Meadow Brook, Garden, G/town |
| 20 | Joy Water | Lot 200 1st Street, Mocha, E.B.D |
| 21 | Pristine Waters | Lot 120 Vryheid’s Lust North, E.C.D |
| 22 | Atlantic Manf.& Packaging Company | Lot 25 Courbane Park, Annandale, E.C.D |
| 23 | Alkaplus Wellness & Water Refilling | Lot 529 Section,’ A’ Block x, Diamond, E.B.D |
| 24 | White Rain Purified Water | Lot 69 Durban Street, Lodge, G/town |
| 25 | Sunny Ultra Pure | Lot 1 Sparta, Essequibo Coast |
| 26 | Natasha English | Lot 17 Obama Drive, Amelia’s Ward, Linden |
| 27 | Roxanna Summer | Lot 226 Mora Street, Mc Kenzie, Linden |
| 28 | Leed’s H20 Purified Water | Lot 30 5th Avenue, Bartica |
| 29 | Aqua-Tic Purified Water | Lot 48 First Avenue , Bartica |
| 30 | Juice Up Guyana |
Lot 1237 West Minister, W.B.D |
