Testing time(s)

By Sally Bolton

Our water test kits finally arrived from Singapore last week, 14 weeks after they were posted. Fortunately I was in Dili at the time, and was able to pick them up from Gabi at the World Bank and bring them back with me to Oecusse*.

We are using the EZ™ Coliform Cult – MUG to test the quality of water before and after treatment via Solvatten. It’s not a comprehensive test of water quality – it can cost thousands of dollars to conduct lab tests against a full range of criteria. But this test kit is a relatively low cost, portable and simple way to test for bacteria and E. coli that suits our needs here.

The Solvatten Solar Safe Water System works by using energy from the sun to inactivate and kill the micro-organisms that cause water-borne diseases. It is based on three methods for treating water – filtration, heat pasteurisation and UV-disinfection.

To use the Solvatten you pour water in to the two sides of the container through filters under the black caps. You set the indicator to red, and leave the Solvatten open in direct sunlight until the indicator turns green.   You then pour the treated water out through the white caps.

The Solvatten container is designed to maximise the rate at which the water temperature rises, and the amount of UV radiation to which the water is exposed.

It holds 10 litres of water, and in full sunlight it takes 2-4 hours for the water to be safe to drink, or 5-6 hours if cloudy. Under optimum conditions the Solvatten can be used three times a day, producing 30 litres of safe drinking water.

Fundasaun Esperansa Enklave Oecusse (FEEO), Kopernik’s local partner NGO, has been demonstrating the Solvatten since late December in the villages where solar lights and fuel efficient stoves are sold to FEEO’s self-help groups.  The challenge has been deciding on a price to charge for it.

The common method for treating water in these villages is to boil it so it is safe to drink. It is time-consuming to collect firewood and boil the water, but people don’t have to spend money to do this. While the solar lights save people money by replacing kerosene lamps, the value proposition of the Solvatten is less clear. So, will people pay for it?

Members of FEEO’s self-help groups say the Solvatten will be good to use when they are out in the fields. They can take it with them in the morning, leave it in the sun while they’re working, and by lunchtime they’ll have safe, hot water they can use to make coffee, tea or noodles.

The unit cost of a Solvatten is $90. FEEO has been selling the solar lights at a subsidised price that’s between a third and half their unit cost, but $30-$45 for a Solvatten is still unaffordable for the people that Kopernik and FEEO are trying to reach. Merita, the director of FEEO, has decided on a price of $15.

Now that the price is set, we will ramp up the demonstrations of the Solvatten, which is where the water test kit comes in. It provides a graphical representation of water quality. The test works by detecting an enzyme produced by coliform bacteria and a specific enzyme produced by E. coli. If coliforms are present, the liquid sample will change from yellow to blue-green in color.

The bore water we have tested, on the left hand side of the photo, turned blue-green in colour, showing that coliform bacteria was present. After the water was put through the Solvatten the sample stayed yellow, on the right hand side of the photo, confirming the water had been successfully treated.

So far so good. But when it comes to the second part of the test, for E. coli, that things get a little more complicated. The water test kit instructions read: “If E. coli is present, the sample will glow a bright blue, fluorescent color when illuminated with a UV light (365nm)”.

But where can I find a UV light in Oecusse? As much as I would love to take my water samples out for a night on the town, the raging nightlife in Pantemakassar is yet to feature a UV-light infused disco.

The instructions go on to say “Alternatively, the presence of E. coli can be confirmed with the addition of Kovac’s reagent, which produces a red ring as a biochemical confirmation.” With no access to high-speed internet, I have not been able to confirm what Kovac’s reagent is, but I suspect it is something that is not readily available in Oecusse.

The E. coli test may have to wait until I can return to Dili and track down a UV light source. But with no ferry service between Oecusse and Dili, I’m not sure when that will be. The ferry situation is beginning to test my patience.  If anyone has any reliable information on when the ferry service will resume, I would love to know.

* A special thanks to the UN MovCon team, the Office of the UN Deputy Special Representative to the Secretary-General, and Brad from Mission Aviation Fellowship, who have made it possible to fly back and forth between Dili and Oecusse while the Nakroma ferry has not been running.

We’re coming up on seven weeks without a passenger ferry service linking Pantemakassar with Dili. This is inconvenient for me but far more problematic for everyone in the enclave who relies on the ferry for their livelihoods, and for students who need to travel between Oecusse and Dili for high school and university.

Thankfully the Atauro Express has been coming for the past few weeks with much needed supplies of rice and other necessities of daily life in Oecusse (Bemoli, LA Lights, Tugu Buaya, Mie Sedaap). If the enclave runs out of Bemoli, we’ll have a real problem on our hands.

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