CARIBDA organizes first RO operator training in Curaçao

Caribbean Desalination Association (CaribDA) organized the first Reverse Osmosis (R.O.) Operator training in Curaçao. In 2007, Aqualectra founded, on the initiative of Mr. Humphrey Gouverneur, Director of Production at Aqualectra, the Caribbean Desalination Association (CaribDA) with the objective of uniting all those who are involved in desalination and recycling of water and interchanging experience and knowledge on this matter in the Caribbean and also the rest of the world. CaribDA already has more than 140 members and is affiliated to the parent organization International Desalination Association (IDA). The Governor of the Netherlands Antilles, Mr. Frits Goedgedrag, inaugurated CaribDA officially in June 2008 at an international conference organized together with Aqualectra in the framework of its 80th anniversary of desalinating seawater in order to produce drinking-water here in Curaçao. As the training aspect is given much importance in the strategic plan of CaribDA, CaribDA organized the first Operator Training in Reverse Osmosis (R.O.) here in Curaçao. For CaribDA, this is an important achievement during its six-month existence, and a lot can be expected in the future, also on the other islands in the Caribbean. The R.O. training took place from November 19 to 21, 2008 at the WTC and approximately 60 persons whose companies are affiliated to CaribDA participated. There were participants from Antigua, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, St. Maarten, the Virgin Islands, the U.S.A. and Curaçao. Mr. Wes Byrne, President of C.E.A. (Company for Educational Advancement) and also deputy professor at St. Cloud Technical College in Minnesota, was in charge of the training. Invited speakers were Mr. Brent Brodie from G.E. Water and Process Technologies with the topic: “High-pressure pump and vibration issues” and Mr. Anders Hallsby from Nalco Chemical Company, who presented: “A case study of bio-fouling and cleaning”. CaribDA is grateful to Acqualectra, Curaçaose Mijn Maatschppij, G.E. Water, Curaçao Utilities Company and Nalco Chemical Company for their cooperation in this training. CaribDA is convinced that this training will contribute toward increasing the knowledge in modern technology of desalinating seawater by means of Reverse Osmosis. As part of the training, the participants could visit Aqualectra’s most modern R.O. plant at Santa Barbara.