Water PNG increases quality control checks

 WATER PNG (formerly PNG Waterboard) has increased its surveillance and quality control checks on the water supply in the centres it operates in.

This was done to ensure that the supply of water to its consumers was of high quality and safe for consumption following the cholera outbreak in several parts of the country.

Water PNG carries out daily checks and surveillance including regular testing of treated water prior to distributing to consumers.

Water PNG chief operating officer (interim) Amo Mark said in a statement that Water PNG has the responsibility to carry out regular checks on individuals, groups or companies operating private water supply systems.

He said this was to ensure they (clients) complied with set laws of water quality and health of both people and the environment.

Mark outlined the objectives of the strategy which included:

. Ensuring all possible points of contamination are stopped, prevented and minimised; 

.Ensuring that the system monitoring to detect any potential threats; and 

. Ensuring subsidiary activities do not contribute to, or become medium for, water contamination

Since the outbreak in the province, Water PNG was now doing a 24 hour service from the normal rationing operations.

“We have taken measures including increasing the chlorine dosage levels, daily surveillance of our piped systems, regular tests and checks on our water supply system to ensure that the water remains safe for human consumption,” chief executive and managing director Patrick Amini stated in an advertorial that appeared in The National last month.

He said that Water PNG water sources and facilities were out of bounds to the public to minimise risk of contamination.

 “Water PNG provides water to national drinking water quality standards set by the Department of Health as adopted from the World Health Organisation,” he stated.

A situation report by the Western cholera taskforce committee this month  highlighted the need for water containers for water storage in the areas that did not have access to water supply.