Press release – Increased water access for North Rupununi villages
(Georgetown) Monday November 16 2020: The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) continues to advance the Government’s agenda of delivering potable water to all Guyanese.
In this regard, Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal on Sunday, November 15, 2020 visited the communities of Wowetta, Aranaputa and Annai in the North Rupununi Sub-district of Region Nine.
The Wowetta community is now benefiting from a new water supply system, which has provided 24 hours water supply to more than 95 per cent of the community, representing approximately 400 residents.
A new well was drilled by GWI and has been complemented by a distribution network, an elevated storage unit, and new photovoltaic system through a project undertaken by the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) to the tune of some GY$27 M. The project was designed to supply the residents with their own private service connections at a household level.
Minister Croal assured that another 200 meters of pipeline will be installed and that will bring water access to 100 per cent of the community. He expressed confidence that the system will serve the community well, while adding that they are looking to replicate the infrastructure in other communities.
Resident of Wowetta, Ms. Judith Moses expressed gratitude for the community’s new water supply system, noting that residents now have sufficient water.
She previously accessed water from a hand dug well and highlighted that with the new system, she now has access to a better quality of water in a more convenient way. The resident added that work is being done to educate the residents about the efficient use of the water.
Senior Councillor, Mr. Ornold Norman echoed similar sentiments while stating how pleased he is that the residents now have 24 hour access to water. He said that this intervention is timely, given the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, in Aranaputa, GWI had drilled a well to supply the residents with access to potable water. This well is now being complemented with a distribution network, elevated storage and an upgraded Photovoltaic system, to provide 24 hours supply of water to some 600 residents of the community.
This project is being executed to the tune of some GY$30 M by the BNTF and is expected to be completed within the next three weeks. At the conclusion of this project, the water access coverage is expected to be increased from 20 per cent to 100 per cent, an 80 per cent increase in overall coverage in this community.
In Annai, GWI recently activated a new well, which is providing potable water to a section of the community, which includes the hospital. GWI is scheduled to drill another well in the community before the end of 2020, which will benefit some 500 residents. According to Minister Croal, when the well is drilled, GWI will be interlinking the system.
He added that a request will be made under the 2021 budget to facilitate further works to the distribution network. Further, funds will be sought for the construction of a new trestle in the community since the current one is in disrepair and has structural issues.
The subject Minister said that by the end of the first quarter of 2021, the entire village will be interconnected and receiving a constant supply of water.