Complaints decrease as GWI works on being “customer-friendly” – Croal

Complaints against service provided by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) have significantly decreased in recent time with the introduction of new measures to keep consumers engaged and updated.
Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal on Friday announced that since action was taken to become more customer-friendly, reports have dropped. Customers now have 24-hour service to acquire information, which the Minister lauded as a testament to bettering relations with consumers.
In enhancing its response, GWI is already focused on a National Electronic Database, which was announced as part of a Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management+ Guyana Project (CReW+).
“The establishment of the National Electronic Database and Platform is very important because as we move forward, develop and move to an automated, electronic management of our delivery of water, we also need to respond. A lot of work has already gone into GWI in being more customer-friendly. Many of the complaints, I can say as a fact that used to come, have decreased because now, persons can log in,” Croal explained.
In recognising that complaints have surfaced over the water quality in some communities, the Minister highlighted intentions of having at least 95 per cent treated water by 2025.
He underscored, “When persons get water, the next thing they complain about is the quality of the water coming to their household. That is why you have a department that was set up in GWI that focus specifically at designing new treatment plants that will see on the coastland, where about a year ago you have only 52 per cent treated water coming to the household, we want to move this to a minimum of 95 per cent by 2025.”
In October 2022, GWI signed three contracts to the tune of $8.5 billion for the construction of seven water treatment plants, taking treated water coverage closer to their targets. Three companies – Sigma Engineering Limited from Bangladesh, Toshiba Water Solution PVT Limited from India, and Hi-Pro Ecologicos from Mexico – were awarded the contracts to construct the plants.
This is part of the plan to establish 13 plants with an additional 10 smaller plants and upgrades to 12 existing plants.  Together, 181,000 persons will benefit from these projects.
Most importantly, it has been shared that planning for GWI must match that of the housing sector, which means satisfying new consumers while supplying new areas. In this Government’s tenure so far, over 20,000 house lots have been distributed – part of the 50,000 lots in five years manifesto promise.