Government has allocated $1.5 billion for the water sector this year to improve the supply and expand access countrywide to potable water.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said the investment in the sector is to facilitate transmission and distribution, main extension, treatment plant rehabilitation/upgrade and borehole construction activities benefiting over 100,000 persons.
Singh, in his budget presentation, pointed out that $850 million has been set aside under the Coastal Water Supply Programme for improving water distribution in areas such as Hope, Calcutta, Lochaber, Anna Catherina, Diamond, DeHoop and Bartica.
Some $75 million has been budgeted for the sector at Linden to focus on improving the reliability, functionality and integrity of the transmission and distribution systems at Amelia’s Ward and Wisroc and over 7,000 residents are expected to benefit.
Further, Singh noted that $103 million has been allocated for the provision of water to hinterland communities such as Sand Hills, Wisruni, Calcuni, Kariabo, Kwebanna and Mahdia where more than 5,000 residents stand to benefit.
Singh mentioned also that this is the third year of implementation of the water company’s turnaround plan, which he said saw a reduction in non-revenue water due mainly to an increase in metering, service connection upgrades and increasing the number of customers that were paying for actual consumption, aiding conservation of the sector’s limited resources.
