A backhoe clears waste at the Guanapo Landfill.
Photos: Angelo Marcelle

Two separate tests conducted by the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (Cariri) for the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and Johnathan Belix Foundation for traces of mercury in Arima’s water have come up with conflicting results. So much so that Joth Singh, managing director and CEO of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) was unable to draw a conclusion from the results. In February, founder of the Foundation, Roger Belix, paid Cariri $4,000 to take samples of tap water from the Arima Boys’ RC and Saffire Engineering for analysis, after he discovered a cyst on his kidney, which he said could have developed from drinking water containing high levels of mercury.

“I also discovered that a number of people were dying in Arima from respiratory illnesses, which prompted me to get the tests done,” Belix said. Both samples, Belix said, were analysed for lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic aluminium, microtox acute toxicity assay, Heterotrophic Plate Count, enumeration of E coli and Total Coliforms on February 4. While the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) maximum contaminant level (the highest acceptable contaminant level in drinking water) for mercury is 0.002 mg/L, Belix said “This limit was exceeded in both samples tested. It was 0.003,” based on Cariri’s service project report, dated April 7.

Belix blamed the Guanapo Landfill site, established by SWMCOL more than 30 years ago on a watershed area, where chemicals are indiscriminately dumped by companies. “These chemicals after a period of time seep through the earth and enter the water that passes through the nearby Chime River.” Belix also argued that the chemicals emit gases when exposed to the sun. “The water then travels to WASA’s water treatment plant and goes into the taps, which is what we drink.”

Sample tests satisfied WHO guideline
Following the uproar over WASA’s water quality, Cariri was retained to do two separate tests for the Water Authority. The first sample was taken on August 12, while on October 12 eleven samples from different locations in and around Arima were tested. “The results for the analysis of mercury in the water samples show that all samples tested satisfied the World Health Organisation’s guideline value for mercury in drinking water,” Cariri stated in its report, dated October 23. Questioned last Thursday about the results of the Foundation’s tests, Ellen Lewis, WASA’s General Manager, Corporate Communications said, “We can only comment on the results of the tests done by Cariri on our behalf,” adding that the samples drawn for WASA proved negative of any contaminants, including mercury.

Pressed as to why WASA did two tests weeks apart, Lewis said public trust and confidence in the water supply was of paramount importance to WASA: “We investigate all complaints that raise water quality and safety issues from wherever they may emanate.” She also denied that the landfill is used for disposal of chemical waste. “SWMCOL has been monitoring the leachates and they confirm that there is no evidence of mercury in their test results.” To allay the fears of citizens in Arima, Lewis said WASA had addressed the matter in a television interview that was broadcast on September 30. “We have also met separately with the Belix Foundation to treat with any concern they may have. The whole nature of water requires broad-based partnerships and we encourage this as it is part of our integrated water resource management approach,” the communications manager said.

EMA: Conflicting results
Singh admitted, however, that the EMA received a report and a letter, both referring to water quality testing in the Arima area, from the Foundation on June 25, 2009. “As a consequence, WASA facilitated a community meeting at the Arima Town Hall on October 13, 2009, to hear the concerns of residents on a number of issues, including the claim of suspected water contamination in the area,” Singh explained. The EMA and other key stakeholders attended and participated at the community meeting. “At this time the EMA is unable to draw any conclusions since the independent water quality testing done by the Jonathan Belix Foundation and the Water and Sewerage Authority showed conflicting results,” Singh revealed.
Singh said WASA gave the assurance that it would be carrying out further water quality testing and would present the results at the next community meeting.

No evidence of mercury found
Irma Burkett, Cariri’s Corporate Communications Officer, when contacted last Friday, said a conclusion cannot be drawn from one sample of water: “Samples have to be taken and tested over a period of time to give an accurate finding.” Burkett also confirmed that the Foundation brought in its samples to Cariri. “We don’t know if the water was collected the proper way. We have sampling techniques. It’s not just about going out and collecting a bottle of water for testing,” she pointed out. Burkett said after the Foundation started complaining about quality of water in Arima, WASA sought their services.

“Water samples were collected by our technicians over a period of time and from various sites for testing. And we have never found this evidence of mercury that Mr Belix had said was there. Sure enough, we found it in the two samples he had brought us,” she said. Burkett said in some tests you get either no traces of mercury or negligible amounts. Within the last three decades, Burkett said Cariri’s tests have been, by-and-large, accurate.