US$6M Liliendaal ‘bullet’ pump station boosts drainage capacity – Pres. Ali tells World Bank Country Director

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Monday highlighted the success of the US$6 million Liliendaal “bullet” pump station during a meeting with outgoing World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean, Lilia Burunciuc. The Liliendaal “bullet” pump represents a major modernisation of Guyana’s drainage infrastructure. It was commissioned in 2025 and installed under the World Bank-funded Guyana Flood Risk Management Project. This project was a decade-long partnership aimed at building resilience to natural disasters and reducing flooding in both urban and rural areas of Guyana’s coastal plain. It supported the upgrading, replacement, and construction of drainage and irrigation structures.

The ‘Bullet’ Pump station, located just metres away from the Atlantic Ocean, features two high-capacity pumps, each able to remove 4.3 cubic metres (m³) of water per second from nearby communities. The new, improved and modern facility effectively doubles the drainage capacity of the area to over 200,000 gallons per minute, way above the previous 90,000 gallons. The pump serves not only Liliendaal but also reduces flooding for Georgetown and nearby communities, including Turkeyen, Cummings Lodge, and as far as South Ruimveldt, due to the interconnected canals and drainage system. The installation is part of a national shift in flood management strategy of moving from aging pumps towards modern, high-capacity pumping systems supporting Guyana’s climate resilience strategy and Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030. However, during the meeting on Monday, he extended his gratitude to the financial institution, describing it as an extraordinary partner in Guyana’s development. “Discussions focused on advancing Guyana’s development priorities in education, climate resilience and drainage and irrigation, including the successful installation of the Liliendaal ‘bullet’ drainage pump,” a post on the President’s social media page stated.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally, were also in the meeting.