At a community meeting at Tipperary Hall, Buxton, East Coast Demerara, on Sunday, Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) announced that it will be installing 3,000 meters in Buxton and neighbouring communities from October, which will significantly help to reduce customers’ service charges.
Service improvements, bill queries and increased hours of water service were among other concerns of the residents addressed by GWI Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles at the meeting, according to a press release from GWI. It was stated that a GWI metering app will be launched very soon.
“Water quality is GWI’s top priority, but with the help of the citizens, who will report leaks and breakages in the system which can cause bacteria and viruses, we can keep the system tightly closed and this will increase pressure,” Dr. Van-West Charles was quoted as saying, in the GWI release. The GWI head also added that the company’s goal was to provide for the many families in urgent need of potable water and to give an additional three hours to the existing eight hours of service residents presently receive.
According to the GWI release, the Executive Director of Operations, Dwayne Shako , following concerns raised about hours of water and the quality received, explained that a programme is being implemented in two phases. GWI will be upgrading the pump at Friendship Water Treatment Plant at a cost of $3 million, and installing a new filtration system which was donated by Water is Our World, from Holland. Other plans highlighted include the installation of a new generator, the remedying of the distribution lines, and the re-commissioning of the overhead tank at Annandale which would lead to customers having 24 hours service within their homes by December, 2017.
The GWI Managing Director urged residents to safeguard the company’s infrastructure to ensure that the service is available for generations to come, according to the press release. Dr. Van West-Charles also noted that GWI was coordinating with the Ministry of Education to clean the black water tanks at various schools around the country to ensure that water quality is in keeping with the World Health Organisation standard.
