“We have heard the cry of the population on the coastal belt,” Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Water Inc. Shaik Baksh said on Friday as he announced a massive water treatment project to commence shortly.
The CEO said with $25 billion set aside for the project over the next three years, customers on the coast will experience a significant improvement in water quality.
Baksh said this project will deal with improving the aquifer – groundwater – with the usage of iron removal plants, thereby addressing the brownish water some people receive through their taps with residents in Region Two facing the brunt of this.
GWI currently has 28 treatment plants but under this project, the utility company will build 12 additional large treatment plants.
“GWI as the executing agency has been mandated to proceed to ensure the completion of this treated water programme,” Baksh said.
In addition to the 12 large plants on the coastal belt, another 10 small plants will be constructed.
GWI will be going out to tender for the first seven plants by the end of May on a design/build basis and then will go to tender for the reminding five by the last quarter of this year.
The project will also see the upgrading of existing plants. Compounding the issues faced with water quality is the number of leakages GWI is experiencing.
“Thousands of leakages were repaired over the last year but there are still some areas on the coastal belt where we are challenged for an increased level of service.”
To arrest this, GWI has introduced a new water leakage management app that persons can use to report leakages.
In addition, GWI will be continuing the renewal and replacing of aging pipelines in the capital, Georgetown with the full support of the government on these projects.
Some $5 billion was contributed by the government between 2020 and 2022 for coastal, urban and hinterland capital projects which included the drilling of new wells and the renewal of the transmission and distribution lines.
Already, GWI has completed several areas in the city and is now looking to replace the lines along Church Street and commence phase two of the Avenue of the Republic part of the project.
GWI says it has already gone through a detailed and consultative process with stakeholders and said the project makes provision for the full reinstatement of property damaged in the process.
Roads will have to be dug up and other private infrastructure demolished for this project.