Potarinau residents benefit from $8.5M water system

— to provide potable water to 98% of community

As part of an ongoing quest to achieve one hundred per cent access to potable water countrywide by 2025, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) and Housing and Water Ministry on Saturday commissioned at Potarinau, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, who commissioned the facility, told the Potarinau residents that the Government is committed to fulfilling its commitment of achieving potable water access for all within its first term in office.
She explained that the commissioning of this and other water systems is just the beginning of plans to advance the water sector in their community and the hinterland region at large.

Minister Rodrigues assured the community that the work carried out to date was completed with the available resources from the 2021 budget and that Government’s intention is to advance works to ensure equal access countrywide.
The Minister also explained that the investment to extend water service connections to each household is more on the hinterland because of their distance from the water system.
This project saw an investment of $8.5 million from the Government of Guyana 2021 budget, which allowed approximately 700 residents to access potable water from an expanded water supply system.
Executive Director of hinterland Services, Ramchand Jailal explained that the water being supplied to the community is safe for consumption and will allow them easy access for their domestic use as they would no longer have to fetch water.
Jailal also highlighted that GWI and the Ministry are working closely with Village Councils in all hinterland communities to ensure each community has access to potable water.
He acknowledged that there is room for further advancement and assured them that GWI will continue to work with the village to ensure optimum water access.
Also present at the ceremony was Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Water, Andre Ally and Prime Ministerial Representative to Region Nine, Claire Singh who echoed the sentiments to bridge the development gap between the hinterland and the coast.
Upgrades to the existing system included the drilling of a potable water well by GWI’s in-house team to a depth of 300ft, installation of 525 lengths of 50mm pipelines from the well to the existing water infrastructure, and in excess of 50 household connections.
Works also entailed the installation of a photovoltaic system and the re-plumbing of four 450 gallons water tanks, among other auxiliary works.
The water supply system was established within the central part of the community of which approximately 60 houses have been connected to the water system along with the school, health facility, and teachers’ quarters etc. The water supply system is presently serving approximately 90 per cent of the community.