An Auto-Analyser, for testing water
quality, valued at $1.9 million Jamaican dollars (US$31,000.00) was
handed over to the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), on
Wednesday, January 12. The machine which will add value to NEPA's
coastal water quality monitoring efforts will be used to test for
nitrates and phosphate levels.
While the Auto-Analyser enhances
NEPA's ability to monitor Jamaica's coastal waters, it will also boost
the Blue Flag certification programme. Blue Flag is a voluntary
certification programme that ensures that beaches and marinas have
excellent water quality; a consistent environmental education programme;
sound environmental management systems; and safe bathing facilities.
Members of NEPA's Pollution,
Prevention and Assessment team and Paula Henry of the Ministry of
Health's Environmental Health Unit participated in a two-day training
workshop on the use of the machine. The workshop was conducted by John
Beans of Pulse Instrumentation Limited of Canada, manufacturers of the
equipment. The machine was acquired through the Coastal Water Quality
Improvement Project (CWIP) Phase 2, a joint programme between the
Government of Jamaica (GOJ) and USAID.
In commenting on the machine, Dillard
Knight, Manager of NEPA's Pollution, Prevention and Assessment Branch
indicated that, "it will reduce, by at least one fifth, the time
normally takes to check for nutrients manually". Mr. Knight said that
"the equipment was a necessary step in the right direction as it will
allow NEPA to become more efficient in its service delivery."
