By Royan Abrams
The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) on Thursday re-commissioned a water system at Mara Village, East Bank Berbice to the tune of $5M.
Residents of Village and surrounding communities have been out of water for over four years after thieves stole several solar panels from the pump station that would usually provide electricity to the facility.
GWI’s Managing Director, Dr Richard Van West Charles, during a simple re-commissioning ceremony at the Schepmoed Primary School, explained that it will take some time for the Government to ensure quality water supply throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. He added that the re-commissioning exercise would not have been possible without the collaboration of members of the community, stakeholders and those tasked with ensuring the water system is up and running.
“These new panels, at this time as we speak now, can give you water supply six hours a day, but I want to say that in another two weeks, we gonna get some batteries to store the power and (I was informed) that one battery has already been donated from the community and we gonna get some batteries so you can get water 24 hours a day,” he explained.
Dr Van West Charles noted that GWI has completed several projects in Region Six and several others are planned for completion between the yearend and the first quarter of the new year.
Minister of Public Affairs within the Ministry of the Presidency, Dawn Hastings Williams, who was present at the event, implored on residents to look over the water system to ensure the solar panels are intact and not stolen again.
“My encouragement to you today is to ask each one of you to be the guardian of your water system. Denounce to the relevant authority of (any) wrongdoing,” she stated.
The $5M was spent on the acquisition of solar panels, workmanship and installation.
