The Guyana Water Company (GWI) revealed earlier this week that there are plans to collaborate with Government to replace its outdated system in Central Georgetown and other developing areas.
This was announced by the Managing Director of GWI, Dr Richard Van West-Charles, who addressed the situation of frequent ruptures in the archaic water system. West-Charles stated that there is the possibility of water pressure being raised during emergencies. However, this causes leaks and blowouts along the larger transmission lines.
GWI Managing Director, Richard Van West-Charles (fourth from right) addressing the issue of the country’s outdated water network
West-Charles noted that in the recent Pike Street inferno, which destroyed four adjacent buildings, attempts were made to raise the pressure. However, the outdated system could not handle the force of the water, which resulted in a rupture of the 16-inch transmission line, which is situated on Church Street.
Additionally, sometime ago, there was also a similar problem involving a leak at Vlissengen Road. He noted that this is in light of the fact that the system in Central Georgetown is over 100 years old.
Presently, the only solution to the this problem is to repair the ruptures or leaks until there is a complete replacement of the water network that spans across Guyana, but most importantly, Central Georgetown. There is a limited response time given to the staff to fix all leaks, which are reported by concerned citizens.
The Managing Director explained, “It takes time and also its costly because it’s an aged network. We are going to be seeing a greater frequency of leaks but we are prepared to arrest them as we find them.”
With the company’s aim of improving the production and distribution of its services, this is a project which is on the company’s agenda.
“I think it is imperative that GWI and the Government of Guyana, we find a solution with respect to the replacement of this network in Central Georgetown,” he said.
GWI has also contacted the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) with respect to the rehabbing and availability of fire hydrants in the varying areas. NDCs who wish to have hydrants in their communities can do so at a fraction of their budgets. However, West-Charles explained that the new mapped out network will cater for hydrants.
“In the new towns that we begin to map out, the number of hydrants that are needed, and that collectively we find the resources to address it because it is a security issue,” he highlighted.
The East Bank of Demerara is one of the instances where there will also be the need for a strategic and functional system to supply the growing population. It will also be designed so as to relieve neighbouring communities when they experience any challenges accessing water.
“On the East Bank, is a good example where as you expand housing, then we have to look at the infrastructure that we have, to support the growth in human development in those areas. It’s something that we are working on, and the issue of redundancy in the system is one of the strategic directions. If a well goes down in one village, the connections from the other villages can support the supply to the different populations,” said West-Charles.
So far, funds were allocated from the Government of Guyana through an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded programme to target locations from Vlissengen Road to Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
The other component will be a phase approach which is estimated to cost approximately US$40 million to fix other priority areas in Georgetown.
