GWI reaffirms commitment to Water Quality improvement in Region 6 – in light of protest action
(Georgetown, Monday, 14th January, 2019)- Guyana Water Incorporated wishes to address the protest action taken today, Monday, 14th January, 2019 outside of its office in Chesney in Region 6 as it relates mainly to water quality, the company’s billing system and its new rates.
The company wishes to state that the East Berbice-Corentyne region has seen continuous improvement in the supply, quality and level of water services.
Water quality at the utility’s facilities are continuously monitored to ensure that customers receive the best quality of water possible. More specifically, monitoring of the #63 and #69 pump stations, which serve Number 61-74 villages, has over the past two months shown that the water quality is within the World Health Organisation parameters.
Iron, which may be aesthetically displeasing, is not harmful to health and the two pump stations have over the past 2 months recorded low iron content. Every effort is made to flush the pipelines on a weekly basis, so as to preserve water quality.
Further, checks on Monday, 14th January, 2019 at several prominent locations served by the aforementioned facilities showed pressures ranging from 15-20 feet. These include number 64 Health Center and Secondary School, Number 72 Primary and nursery schools and the Number 52/74 Neighbourhood Democratic Council.
In its continued effort to improve its service, GWI last Thursday commissioned a new well at Pourt Mourant, which serves some 20,000 residents from Tain to Albion and has resulted in distribution hours being increased from 8 hours to 16 hours.
Additionally, the company is presently working to re-commission the Williamsburg well tomorrow, Tuesday, 15th January, 2019 and this will allow for the 24 hour supply of water to these residents in communities which include Belvedere, Tain, Hampshire, Port Mourant, Rosehall and Williamsburg.
Further, in response to the statements by protestors regarding the company’s billing system, GWI wishes to categorically state that Region 6 boasts 97% bill delivery efficiency and recorded 100% bill distribution in December, 2018.
GWI also wishes to take this opportunity to highlight that its harmonisation of rates is an incremental one which took effect on October 1, 2018 and was approved by the Public Utilities Commission. This was done following three (3) public hearings which saw members of the public being given the opportunity to raise their concerns.
Contrary to the utterances of the protestors today, GWI has made special provision for pensioners in its harmonisation of rates, with this category of persons being exempted from paying the new fixed monthly charge of $250.
Additionally, metered pensioners now pay a charge of $74 per cubic meter (m3) for the first 10m3 and $86 for each m3 used thereafter. Unmetered pensioners pay a rate of $740 per month.
GWI wishes to reassure all of its customers that the Board of Directors, Management and staff remain committed to the continuous advancement of the water sector, providing our valued customers with the highest quality of service.