Water in the hinterland: Once a distant dream, now a flowing reality

For years, access to safe water has been a daunting challenge for Guyanese who live in hinterland communities. In the last four years alone, the government has made remarkable strides in delivering potable water to remote communities and in the process, created hope for thousands of families.  

Take Allin Thomas for example. He and daughter Malika live in the community of Quarrie, deep in the Central Rupununi savannah. Their village is inhabited by just over 250 residents.

Thomas divides his time between caring for Malika, farming and community service. He understands how vital water is to the survival of his community.

“Clean water is good for them and also the rest of the children in the village. I know water is a part of life. We need to be careful with what we [are] using… we need a clean water system,” Thomas said.

For years, the residents of Quarrie like those in hundreds of hinterland communities, hoped that their voices would be heard. While residents in coastal communities have had easy access to safe water, men, women and even children in villages like Quarrie were required to walk long distances to fetch water in buckets from hand-dug wells or a nearby creek to their homes.

The daily struggle to gain access to safe water is a reality that senior councillor of Quarrie, Martin Anthony is all too familiar with.

“People were suffering from water… In this weather, hand-dug wells [are] very unclean to use,” Anthony said.

During periods of drought hand-dug wells would run dry forcing residents in hinterland communities with no other option but to put their faith in a limited quantity of unsafe water that they use for cooking, washing and even drinking.

Unsafe water harbours contaminants and bacteria that results in frequent bouts of illness such as skin infections, dysentery and other preventable diseases. Personal hygiene suffers as well.

In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated that 2 billion people worldwide lack access to clean water. That’s 1 in 10 people on the planet who do not have access to clean water. It is estimated that more than three million people die from waterborne diseases and every day, more than 1,000 children under five dies from illnesses caused by the use of unsafe water, sanitation and poor hygiene.

More than a decade ago the United Nations General Assembly declared safe and clean drinking water and sanitation a human right.

When the PPP/C administration took office four years ago, a mere 45% of the hinterland communities had access to a safe supply of water. A core pillar of the government of Guyana’s manifesto is a commitment to ensuring that every citizen has 100% access to potable water by 2025. So, how did this government set about achieving this vision?

Addressing the 8th India Water Week-2024, in Delhi, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, highlighted Guyana’s rapid expansion of its potable water sector, driven by the country’s tremendous macroeconomic growth and a number of strategic initiatives which increased access to treated water in both coastal and hinterland communities. 

For example, the government has worked with community leaders and local stakeholders to expand water distribution networks, installing photovoltaic pumping stations and building catchment systems. But nothing equals the sheer number of wells that have been drilled in hinterland communities.

“One hundred new wells have been drilled in the hinterland regions from 2020 to now. Those are the projects that are completed. We have projects that are in progress now. Another 30 wells will be completed by the end of the year and that is a major accomplishment,” the Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues said.

We at DPI have reported on the commissioning of wells in the hinterland and our technical team plugged the locations of 100 wells that Minister Rodrigues said have been built in the hinterland into this interactive map.

And with this accomplishment, 98.8 per cent of the coastland and 82 per cent of hinterland communities now have access to potable water. And the government is not done; it has set a target of 100 per cent coverage by the year 2025. 

During a community outreach by the ministry of housing and water in 2023, residents of Quarrie expressed their dire need for a safe and reliable supply of water.

“We were very in need of the water system… when minister of housing did visit our village… we ask for that help [a well],” Senior Councillor Martin Anthony said.

Residents in Quarrie told DPI they were amazed at the level of responsiveness by the government, and less than a year after making their request, Quarrie got a brand new well.

In April 2024, a $12 million well was commissioned in the village providing some 63 per cent of residents with clean water.

A second water system was commissioned in Quarrie in October 2024 by the Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues. This second system delivers water to 96 per cent of all villagers. But even in the remote outskirts of these small communities, the government is working to bridge the gap and ensure that every home, big or small, has access to a safe and reliable water supply.

Access to safe water has changed everything about life in Quarrie. Thomas told DPI that “right now, we get water in the backyard… everything easier right now.”

Thomas admits he now has more time on his hands to spend with his daughter and assist in the development of his community.

And for all of that, the total amount that the government invested in the village of Quarrie is a mere $24 million.

The government has allocated $22.5 billion for water system improvement across the country. Since August 2020, over $4.9 billion was invested in the hinterland just for water.

Beyond numbers and points on a map, it is important to recognise that to live life fully, water is essential. It flows through our bodies, nourishes our crops, powers our industries, and fuels our dreams. Life would literally cease to exist without water.

Safe water allows parents like Allin Thomas to enjoy life to its fullest. It means his daughter has a future that is not mired in ill-health due to waterborne diseases. Safe water translates into healthy communities and turns what was once a distant dream into a flowing reality.