Drilling of well at Capoey completed, to soon serve over 200 residents

Drilling of the well at Capoey, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has been completed, and some 200 residents there will soon be receiving potable water for the first time.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Water Inc., Shaik Baksh, during a recent visit to the well site, commended the in-house team that completed the work within a reasonable time. The well was drilled utilizing a Pat Rig acquired by GWI earlier this year to work in the hinterland regions.

Toshao of Capoey, Ralph Hendricks, who watched as water flowed from the well in his community, stated, “This is now reality. We can see progress, and we could see that you have fulfilled your promise. I am quite certain that the ladies will be happy having water here, rather than having to go to the lake, because of the distance and hot sun. This is a plus for us.”
The residents at the site also expressed similar sentiments.
GWI Hinterland Services Director Ramchand Jailall explained that the community has been mapped, and tanks will be placed on the hilltop to obtain maximum water pressure. He added that the connecting pipes to transmit the water are being acquired, and GWI would also sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the community for the execution of some aspects of these works.
Through the MoU, residents of Capoey will be employed in the laying of the pipelines as well as the fencing of the area housing the well in their community. Those workers will be paid by the Government. GWI would disburse the money to the Village Council, which in turn would pay the workers for their labour. At a later time, the well at Capoey would be formally commissioned by ministers of the Housing and Water Ministry.
Now that the drilling of the well is completed, Baksh indicated that the Pat Rig will, in the coming days, be deployed to Pomeroon. In Pomeroon, new wells will be drilled at Wakapao, Bethany, Akawini and Karawab by yearend.
Some 40 new wells are expected to be drilled in the hinterland regions this year. This year, the Government has also allocated some $1.4B to increase access to potable water in hinterland communities.
Over the past two years, access to potable water in the hinterland regions has increased significantly. In fact, coverage in the hinterland has moved from 46 per cent in 2020 to 75 per cent in 2022. GWI is working to achieve 85 per cent coverage by the end of this year, 93 per cent coverage by the end of 2024, and full coverage in the hinterland by 2025.