Govt to overhaul sewage, wastewater systems in city

…as aged water mains also set for upgrade

In keeping with its Water and Sanitation Sector Strategic plan, the People’s Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/C) Government has assured that aging water distribution mains in the capital city of Georgetown will be upgraded, in order to ensure clean water is delivered to residents.

This is according to Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal, when he made a presentation during his attendance at the eighth India Water Week 2024, a biennial event that is being held from September 17-20 in New Delhi.
“Crucial areas of focus include increasing access to potable water supply for coastal and hinterland communities. Increasing treated water coverage. Reducing non-revenue water by upgrading and reducing aged distribution mains in our capital city. And modernising the sewage and waste water infrastructure,” Croal said at the inauguration ceremony.
Croal explained that the government has begun an aggressive initiative to bridge the divide between the coast and the hinterland when it comes to infrastructure. The Minister also highlighted what the government’s efforts to increase access to potable water
“Access to potable water by citizens on the coastland is 98.8 per cent, while in the hinterland and riverain communities, 82 per cent of the more than 200 communities do. Communities in all 10 of our administrative regions, receive improved and increased access to potable water supply through the installation of new mains, upgrades of aged infrastructure and drilling of wells.”
“We’ve also placed emphasis on quality assurance and sustainability, through a massive treated water supply programme, which aims to increase our demand or treated water coverage from 52 to 90 per cent by the end of 2025. Some 260,000 persons or 65,000 households, will benefit from improved water quality and service,” he further explained.
According to the Minister, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has implemented a strict water quality monitoring system, with the aid of water quality testing labs. He noted that they strictly follow World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
Croal also noted GWI’s efforts to enhance water quality management, including the construction of a state-of-the-art central water testing laboratory equipped with an ISO-17025 management system, capable of conducting chemical, microbiological, and wastewater analysis.
Conceptualised and first organised in 2012, India Water Week is a biennial event. It is a four-day conference and exhibition that is considered India’s international water resources event. Seven editions of events have been organised in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022.
The event, which was organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, serves as a global platform bringing together global level decision-makers, politicians, researchers, experts, planners, innovators, students and stakeholders in the field of water resources from across the world, with the theme of “Partnerships and Cooperation for Inclusive Water Development and Management”.
The four-day conference includes exhibitions and study tours with seminars, panel discussions, side events, exhibition and cultural programmes, as well as opportunities for businesses to find prospective partners and customers.
Guyana has made strides when it comes to delivering potable water to citizens, including the residents of Georgetown. Last month, however, complaints from some residents in Georgetown over the poor water quality resulted in GWI pleading for patience while it worked to address the issues.
It had been explained that there were high levels of sediment at GWI Shelter Belt canals, with preliminary investigations revealing that the issue occurred when GWI dredged the East Demerara water conservancy. This caused a buildup of sludge that contaminated its Shelterbelt, resulting in the distribution of the ‘rusty and unhealthy’ water.
GWI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shaik Baksh had explained that aged Drainage and Irrigation infrastructure in the affected areas were preventing GWI teams from flushing the sediment out of the pipeline, thus increasing work time.
While some areas such as Stabroek, Regent Street, Hadfield and Alberttown were showing high levels of water clarity, other areas at the further end of the distribution network including Kitty and Charlestown were experiencing gradual improvements.
He had assured, however, that GWI’s technical teams were aggressively flushing the Shelterbelt network to improve the clarity of the water. GWI had also hired additional labour to clean the canals while technicians in the laboratory conducted daily tests to monitor the quality of water being accessed. (G3)