35,000 households to benefit from water meters in 2023

In a move to improve monitoring of water usage and reduce water loss, some 35,000 households are set to benefit from water meters in 2023.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Shaik Baksh, disclosed this during a press briefing at the GWI boardroom, Vlissingen Road, on Tuesday.

In 2022, GWI met its installation target of 20,000 water meters.

“By meter employment, it helps GWI reduce the water loss, in particular the NRW, or the Non-Revenue Water. We have to bring that down, and we’re working hard to do that over the next two to three years,” Baksh explained.

He said this was to maintain sustainability, as there is currently a 67 per cent loss of non-revenue water.

GWI is hoping to reduce that figure to 55 per cent, and eventually to 50 per cent.

“That will clearly translate to the better financial performance of GWI,” Baksh said.

In 2022, GWI also repaired upwards of 200 leakages on the East Bank of Demerara, and many more along the coast.

“We are conscious of our current level of service, which we want to continuously improve. And special systems have been put in place to achieve our objectives so that people can enjoy a better level of service across Guyana,” the CEO assured.

GWI remains committed to providing all Guyanese with access to cleaner water, with more than 10 wells commissioned in 2022, and some 50 wells slated for construction in 2023.

Twenty of these will bring potable water to the coast, while the remaining 30 will bridge gaps that exist in water access across the hinterland.

Another 13 new water treatment plants will also be constructed throughout this year to the tune of some $32 billion. Seven of those contracts, valued at a combined cost of $14.6 billion have been signed, while the other six are expected to be tendered in February.