Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is advancing works in Region One (Barima-Waini) to provide improved water access as well as first-time access to thousands of Guyanese in several communities.
A team of GWI officials led by Managing Director, Dr Richard Van West-Charles, over the weekend visited several sites where works are being conducted or will commence shortly.
According to the Managing Director, this is in keeping with the mandate of President David Granger to ensure equity between the Hinterland and the Coastland.
The utility company is examining the water supply system in Mabaruma, a community which has three springs as the source of water. There is an overhead storage tank that was refurbished recently and activated and the springs cleaned.
Executive Director of Hinterland Services, Mr Ramchand Jailal, explained that the challenge which exists in that community is the limited supply due to the recently encountered extended dry period where the springs recharge have been slower than normal.
As a result, new wells have been drilled in the community at an average depth of 150 meters but water has been found in very small quantities. Therefore, drilling will be undertaken to an increased depth of about 230 meters. Currently, additional drilling pipes are being mobilised to advance the deeper drilling.
In Kamwatta, the drilling of a well has commenced where some 450 residents, inclusive of a school and health centre, will benefit from first-time access to potable water.
Following drilling in Kamwatta, a well will also be drilled in the community of White Water, where some 1,700 residents will benefit from first-time and improved access to potable water.
In Port Kaituma, a new well has been drilled and the laying of some 4KM of pipelines is 50 per cent complete. Other works to be executed are the construction of the discharge, the connection from two wells to the transmission line, and the interconnection and installation of gate valves, which are used to control the water supply network. Disinfection of the pipelines will also be done before the new wells are activated. Some 540 residents will benefit from improved water access.
Mr Jailal explained that the current source of water for the residents is the Port Kaituma River, which is at risk of contamination from mining, agricultural, and other activities.
Therefore, well drilling is a move to transition 50 per cent of Port Kaituma to groundwater supply. This includes the school, hospital, and the entire Fitsburg area. GWI is working to supply 24-hour potable water throughout the community.
Additionally, in approximately 3 weeks, a drilling rig will be mobilised to drill a new well between the one and two miles area. This well will provide some 800 residents between one to four miles with first-time access to potable water.
In the community of Matthew’s Ridge, water is supplied to residents from a spring using gravity feed and that water is also disinfected. However, following a visit to the community, GWI is now convinced that that supply is inadequate to meet the needs of the community.
Therefore, plans are also in place for the drilling of a well in the community, which will ensure that its approximately 940 residents have an improved supply of water.
