GWI conducted 28 well drillings in 2019

…announces acquisition of 2 drill rigs

Among the many goals achieved by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) in 2019, the utility company has announced that it managed to drill 28 wells across the country, with 16 of those being established in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

At an end-of-year press briefing, GWI’s Managing Director Dr Richard Van West-Charles labelled the achievement as “historic”.
“In 2016, there were four wells drilled, in 2017, six wells drilled, in 2018 nine wells drilled and in 2019, 28 wells drilled. Never before in the history of this country has there been this type of experience in terms of drilling wells to supply water to our citizens,” he explained.
Over 5000 residents living in various communities within Region Nine, the country’s largest region, were able to access potable water for the first time. Some of these Indigenous communities included Aishalton, Nappi, Parishara, Aranaputa, Shulinab, Meriwau, Yupukari, Lethem and Moco Moco. Other wells were also excavated in Kamwatta, Whitewater and Baramita in Region One (Barima-Waini) among several other hinterland communities.

Additionally, Dr Van-West Charles highlighted that the company is aiming to achieve 100 per cent potable water access in 2020, as they have already procured two state-of-the-art drill rigs that will be arriving soon.
“We were able to procure two state-of-the-art rigs which will arrive next month, one for the hinterland region and one for the coast…This places GWI in a different position in that we have greater capabilities of drilling wells in the hinterland and on the coast.”
The drill rigs are equipped with backhoes, trucks, water tankers, 11 canters, 2 pick-ups and other equipment.