Guyana Water Inc (GWI) Chief Executive Officer Karan Singh is to submit a paper to government setting out the implications of its aggressive promotion of the current grow more food campaign for likely increased water use and the possible knock-on effect on GWI’s operations.
“The reality is that while the government’s grow more food initiative is a necessary and positive response to the global food crisis, it is important that account be taken of the way in which increased water use impacts on GWI’s ability to provide a service,” Singh told Stabroek Business.
And according to Singh his submission to government will contain specific proposals designed to meet the water demands associated with the grow more food campaign while easing the strain on GWI.
Singh told Stabroek Business that he was aware of regions in Guyana where what were once kitchen gardens had been expanded into commercial farms that were using water which was being provided by GWI for domestic purposes. “The fact of the matter is that GWI cannot afford to meet the cost of treated water intended for domestic consumption only to have it used to water plants.” Singh said.
One of the proposals which he said was likely to be contained in his submission to government was for the grow more food campaign to be attended by “rain water harvesting” through the creation of networks of rainwater gutters and ponds, the acquisition of containers for storing water for agricultural purposes and accessing surface water sources.
Singh said that while GWI’s operations allow for water supply use at the rate of 180 litres per person per day, studies done by the company have revealed that average water use per person per day amounts to in excess of 250 litres. He said that the GWI’s metering programme seeks to promote more aggressive water conservation by charging consumers at a higher rate for water use beyond the allowable limit.
Singh’s comments have come in the wake of robust public criticism of the quality of service being provided by the GWI and according to him GWI’s difficulties were due to a number of circumstances including an unacceptable level of water wastage and demands on the service that go beyond those expected of a normal water entity. “If the GWI were to provide the services expected of a normal water entity we would be able to do so. The challenge lies in having to cope with wastage, on the one hand, and, on the other, having to provide services beyond what a normal utility is required to provide, including agriculture and industrial activity. We would not be able to do so effectively. Industrial operations should not be serviced by the GWI.
An industrial estate does not necessarily need treated water that is used for domestic purposes. To a large extent these facilities should not depend on the GWI. They should have their own water supply facility”, Singh argued.
According to the GWI Chief Executive Officer, while the country’s water supply system which was designed in 1972 made allowances for consumer use at 250 litres per day, the current World Bank-funded water supply system is geared for reduced consumer consumption. “In essence, while there has been no increase in the capacity of the wells under the new system we are required more than thirty years later to supply more consumers,” Singh added.
According to Singh GWI’s ability to provide a reliable water supply system continued to be affected by the inefficiencies of the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL). “In 1994 the GWI shifted its operations from mechanical systems to electrical systems based on assurances that there would be parallel improvements in the electricity sector. All we have had up to this time are promises of improvement,” he said.
Singh said that one of the consequences of the quality of service being provided by GPL was that GWI was forced to incur constant and costly damage to its equipment. He said that recent high-level meetings between the two entities had failed to resolve the difficulties adding that the GPL appeared more preoccupied with defending itself than with conceding that it faces problems.
