A new water supply system to the tune of $30 million was on Friday commissioned at Chiung Mouth, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), which will see residents for the first time accessing potable water.
Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry Susan Rodrigues turns the knob to the 30 million water system at Chiung Mouth, Region Eight
The water system was commissioned by Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues.
In February 2020, prior to being appointed to her post, Minister Rodrigues visited the village and pledged to address the water concerns of the villagers. Following her appointment, the Minister returned in October 2020, to announce the realisation of the Chiung Mouth Water System as one of the first items on her agenda.
With Friday’s visit being her third time in the village, the Minister expressed her gratitude to Guyana Water Incorporated’s Hinterland Director, Ramchand Jailal and his team as well as the Contractor – R Kissoon Contracting Services for their dedication in completing the well.
Rodrigues further explained that although the work was not done within the specified deadline which was set for December 2020, this was unavoidable due to the challenges posed by the inclement weather, which caused the rig to become stuck en route to the project site.
Despite the challenges, she stressed the importance of turning a commitment into a reality, regardless of how long it takes.
On the other hand, the GWI executive explained that residents had been without access to potable water for several years due to an aged water system becoming non-functional. He explained that the old well was too shallow and therefore it did not last long.
As such, the villagers depended heavily on water from creeks, which are located long distances away from the community. They also practiced rainwater harvesting.
Managing Director of R Kissoon Contracting Services, Rudranauth Roopdeo highlighted the many challenges experienced in executing the project, specifically as it relates to transporting the drilling rig and other machinery into the community.
The contractor executed the project under the guidance of GWI and villagers were also employed to assist with some of the manual labour.
Chiung Mouth, which has a population of close to 200 people, now has access to potable water at their homes. The overall project entailed the drilling of a potable water well to a depth of 120 metres, construction of a concrete base on a hill and installation of a storage system, installation of a photovoltaic (solar) pumping system, the laying of more than 3000 metres of pipelines for a distribution network and 18 individual service connections.
The full scope of the project was completed on March 31, 2021, allowing residents of Chiung Mouth to begin benefitting as of that date.
Toshao of the village, Euseutact Augustine was elated to see and experience the realisation of the new water system, while Region Eight Chairman, Headly Pio also thanked the Minister and other parties involved for seeing it to completion.
