Capacity of Diamond water treatment plant to be boosted

The capacity of the Diamond water treatment plant on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) is expected to be boosted within the next month as a result of an additional well being drilled at the facility.

This well is currently being drilled by the Brazilian company Foxx Trading at a cost of G$48M, and will have a depth of 750 feet. It is expected to produce at least 200 cubic metres of water per hour.
Guyana Water Incorporated’s Chief Executive Officer Shaik Baksh and a team of technical personnel on Thursday visited the well site to assess the works being done.

The Diamond facility serves over 30,000 residents of the Diamond Housing Scheme, Little Diamond, Prospect, Covent Garden, Farm and Kaneville. Currently, two wells provide the plant’s water supply, and this allows the plant to produce 12 megalitres of water per day.
However, the plant has the capacity of producing 15 megalitres per day, and it is expected that with the drilling of an additional well, the water treatment plant would reach its full capacity.
Baksh explained that the well would increase the plant’s treatment capacity, and allow the company to extend the supply of treated water to more communities. He said he is pleased with the work being done by Foxx Trading, and prospects of the additional well are favourable.
The CEO said the aim is to improve the company’s treated water coverage over the next five years, so that all customers on the East Bank of Demerara would benefit from access to treated water.
According to the CEO, the drilling of the additional well at the Diamond facility forms only a small part of the company’s plan for the East Bank Corridor. These plans would ensure not only an improved supply of water, but would cater to housing developments.
This latter aspect of the plan is a coordinated effort between GWI and the Central Housing and Planning Authority. Baksh noted that housing areas from Eccles to Grove have already been mapped.
He added that plans are also underway to upgrade the Eccles, Covent Garden, and Grove water treatment plants to ensure that all customers within the serving areas have access to treated water.
Meanwhile, GWI’s Executive Director of Operations, Dwayne Shako, said the company is looking to extend the water supply from the Diamond facility to other areas, such as Grove. He added that GWI is also working to increase the service level, to ensure that customers have water at the first floor. This would also be made possible due to ongoing works to reduce the significant water loss in the Diamond/Grove area. This water loss can be attributed to leakages as well as illegal connections.
The Director related that following the drilling of the well at Diamond, wells would also be drilled at Farm and Providence to cater to increased occupancy as a result of the Government’s massive housing drive.
According to him, the company is looking to ensure that customers from Eccles to Grove have access to 24 hours of treated water.