Wastewater management to be addressed with CReW+ funding

…efforts  to have 100% potable water by 2025 strengthened

Wastewater management will now be addressed by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) as the country receives funding under the CReW+ Project (Caribbean Regional Fund for Waste Water Management) to focus on water solutions.
Chief Executive Officer of GWI Inc, Shaik Baksh on Friday indicated during the launch that the intention is to optimise the value and benefit to communities.
The project will span to address key issues, such as the sewage system in Kwakwani. A biodigester will be built there to utilise the wastewater. Under the Linden Water Infrastructure Programme, efforts will also be geared at bringing down water losses, which is affecting the level of service.
Monies have been also allocated for the national electronic database and monitoring of the sewage outflows in Georgetown. The latter will form the basis of a consultancy proposed to establish a wastewater treatment plant.

“Importantly also, we will use some of these funds to protect the water source at West Watooka. This is a new water source which GWI will be exploiting very shortly, utilising water from the West Watooka conservancy and remove reliance on the Demerara River’s polluted water,” Baksh shared.
CReW+ is a partnership project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that is being co-implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The main objective of the GEF CReW+ Project is to implement innovative, technical small-scale solutions in the wider Caribbean Region, using an Integrated Water and Wastewater Management (IWWM) approach and building on the sustainable financing mechanisms that were piloted through the Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management.
Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal indicated that all funding for the Guyana Water Incorporated has been geared at achieving Sustainable Development Goal Six (SDG 6) by 2025, which speaks to clean water and sanitation for all.
“All the projects, all the funding that are coming to GWI is for us to achieve our SDG Six by 2025. That is what we’re working towards. Access to potable water across the entire country must be achieved within the next two and a half years. That tells you the level of work that GWI will be putting in and that you have a commitment by the President to ensure that the resources are made available for us to achieve those targets,” the Minister detailed.
United Nations Representative Stephanie Ziebell positioned, “Access to safe drinking water and sanitation are internationally recognised human rights, derived from the right of an adequate standard of living under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights…And we know that the efforts are being made in significant strides around the world and here in Guyana to achieve the sustainable development goals.” (G12)