75 wells drilled in hinterland regions within three years

With focus on enhancing access to potable water nationwide, 75 wells have been drilled in the hinterland regions in the past three years.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues made the disclosure during Thursday night’s edition of the ‘Guyana Dialogue’.

“We have drilled 75 wells in the past three years…significantly improving access to water in the hinterland. This year, we plan to do 40 additional wells in the hinterland regions…to ensure that their access to water improves to 100 per cent by 2025 as well,” she stressed.

At the end of 2023, water coverage in the hinterland regions increased to 86 per cent.

Some communities in the hinterland regions still do not have access to potable water.

As such, Minister Rodrigues emphasised, “So, they have access to water whether it is through the use of a creek, spring, rainwater harvesting…or a hand-dug well in some cases. Many of them have black tanks that they can do rainwater harvesting. That is why we are so aggressive in the hinterland…” she noted.

Over the last three years, over 35,000 residents received first-time access to potable water nationwide.

In Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, and Seven, more than 435 families along the coast benefited from first-time access in 2023.

Over the past three years, $26 billion was spent to guarantee that every home has access to clean, drinkable water.

Minister Rodrigues emphasised that several initiatives are being undertaken to increase the coverage of treated water along the coast, including the construction of 13 water treatment plants.

The aim is to increase treated water coverage to 90 per cent on the coast by 2025.

Seven of those water treatment plants, which have been awarded, are currently under construction.

These treatment plants are on schedule to be commissioned this year.

Currently, Minister Rodrigues noted, “We are at the public tendering stage where we have five additional treatment plants that are being tendered right now. And as soon as that process is completed, those contracts will be awarded and we will commence construction. These five are being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank.”

One additional water treatment plant will be constructed at Hope.

“We are doing a pilot there by using surface water to feed the water treatment plant. All of the others are being fed through a deep water well. We are going to do the thirteenth one using surface water,” she added.

 These works along with the rehabilitation and extensions of the existing water treatment plants and upgrading of water distribution infrastructure would also help to deliver clean, safe drinking water to the coastal population.