Water from Hope Canal can help cut GWI’s expenses – Croal

There is an increased demand for water on the coast and the government plans to use water from the massive Hope Canal on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) to satisfy this demand – once all the conditions are right.

“We dump tens of thousands of gallons of water from the Hope Canal into the Atlantic (Ocean), so we are examining the feasibility of converting and treating that water so that it can meet the demand on the East Coast,” President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced at a recent event.

On Tuesday, Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal confirmed that this project was being seriously examined by the government and studies will be done this year.

These studies are expected to determine if there will be a year-round supply of water and whether the water supplied will be consistent enough to meet consumer demands. The quality of the water would have to be examined as well.

“We would be happy if we are successful because we would want to replicate that, especially across the coastland,” Croal said.

Beyond just finding a new source of water to satisfy consumer demands, though, the Housing Minister said this new project could help reduce the cost of providing water.

“Once we can have a reliable supply, we can eliminate some of our overhead costs,” Croal said.

The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), which falls under the purview of the Housing Ministry, is responsible for the provision of water to consumers. And cutting costs is just one of the “massive benefits” Croal believes can be garnered if the Hope Canal is used in this manner.

The Housing Minister also said that a constant flow of water from the Hope Canal can eliminate issues consumers might have with low water pressure in their homes.