Eda Ranu to improve water testing laboratory

NATIONAL Capital District water service provider and manager Eda Ranu is stepping up its operations to improve its water testing laboratory capacity as it prepares for multi-billion kina projects such as the LNG project, which will increase demand for quality supplied water from the water company.
Eda Ranu general manager Billy Imar said in a statement that as part of its preparation, Eda Ranu had partnered with Australia’s City West Water (CWW) Ltd to identify and prioritise areas necessary to the improvement of its laboratory activities.
“We have a lot of projects coming up especially in the gas and mining industry, which we must be prepared for.
“Eda Ranu has to ensure that the water supplied is of the highest quality and there is proper treatment of waste water discharge,” he said.
A memorandum of agreement ( MoA) signed last week would enable peer-to-peer exchange of knowledge by Eda Ranu and CWW, which specialised in providing water and sewerage services to areas in Victoria, Australia.
“This is an 18-month agreement which the Asian Development Bank, under its water operators’ partnership programme, has provided US$50,000 (K200,000).
“Known as the twinning programme, this agreement will facilitate the exchange of ideas and experience that will lead to positive results for both organisations and the countries,” Imar said.
He said that the “twinning programme” would also see both companies working together to improve Eda Ranu’s water testing laboratory capacity to attain national association of testing authorities ( NATA ) certification.
Accreditation would include certification to equipment and facilities, laboratory processes and documentation, sampling and testing procedures, laboratory management and staffing and quality control and assurance.
Imar said this was a “first of its kind” arrangement not only for Papua New Guinea but the Pacific as well.