Water woes to end at Waiakabra, Hillfoot with new well

Over 300 households within the communities of Waiakabra and Hillfoot on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway will soon benefit from a new well, ending the water woes faced by residents.
Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal and Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shaik Baksh met with residents on Friday. Present at the meeting were NDC Chairman for Lamaha-Yarrowkabra, Floyd Smith; Vice Chairperson Michelle Drepaul and other community representatives.
The existing Waiakabra well, which was drilled in 2017 to serve both Waiakabra and Hillfoot, is currently inoperable. It is suspected to be damaged due to a rupture in the well casing that occurred during an extraction process. Several attempts were made by the water company to rehabilitate the well to no avail.

“We understand that this situation has affected all of you tremendously, and we are committed to finding a solution. GWI is currently drilling a well at Swan. We expect this to be completed in the next two weeks and then the team will mobilise to begin drilling the new well here in Waiakabra,” the Minister assured residents.
The new well is expected to be completed by the end of August, 2022. GWI CEO Baksh stated that procurement of the necessary materials has already begun.
As part of temporary measures, the region is trucking water in a tanker and pumping it into the distribution network through the well discharge to serve Waiakabra. Residents of Hillfoot will also benefit from similar measures over the coming days. GWI is also exploring the use of the community’s tractor and trailer to transport water directly to the homes of residents.
Additionally, Ricks and Sari Agro Industries Limited has agreed to provide support to residents from their water supply system.
The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has crafted a new five-year strategic plan for the period of 2021-2025. Included in the plan is a target to achieve 85 per cent treated water coverage in coastal areas as compared to 53 per cent in 2019.
This plan also sets out to achieve 100 per cent access to potable water countrywide by 2025. Based on baseline data from 2019, 96 per cent of the population has access to potable water.
The company has over 130 wells that are currently functioning as the major suppliers of potable water. this is coupled with over 20 private Sector wells. (G12)