Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is working to drill additional wells in Port Kaituma, Region One, to tackle the mining community’s water woes, the utility’s Public Relations Officer Leana Bradshaw says.
“GWI is…working to drill additional wells so as to ensure groundwater is the main source of water supply for the community, as we seek to transition from extensive use of surface water,” Bradshaw told Stabroek News, when contacted for an update on the Port Kaituma water situation on Thursday.
For over a week now, some residents of Port Kaituma have been without water service as a result of contamination of the water in the Port Kaituma river from which GWI pumps for distribution to households. The utility last week issued a notice urging residents not to use water from the river until further notice. The notice was issued after reports surfaced of dead fish in the waterway. GWI usually pumps untreated water directly from the river into its distribution network for use by residents.
According to Bradshaw, they are awaiting the results from tests to determine whether the contamination resulted from mining discharges or from other sources. Those results should be available within another week, she said.
Residents had told Stabroek News during a visit to the community earlier this week that the water in the river became contaminated as a result of traditional fishing practices by indigenous people in the riverain areas.
“Samples were taken at different points in the river and tested for heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic. A toxicity analysis was also conducted. This is to determine whether the contamination resulted from mining discharges or from other sources,” Bradshaw said. “Efforts are also being made to collaborate with the Fisheries Department to perform toxicology analysis on any dead fish found in the river to further analyse the situation,” she added.
The water supplied by GWI is mainly used for domestic purposes, residents said. They explained that water for consumption is purchased or collected from the well in GWI’s compound. Some residents also depend on rainwater for consumption.
Residents, during Stabroek News’ visit to the community, lamented the inconvenience they face because of the unreliable water supply.
A new well, which was dug late last year, was on Monday pressed into service and connected to the distribution network, but some residents on Wednesday said that they were still to receive water in their pipes, as the pressure was not high enough. Water drawn from the Port Kaituma River was pumped using an independent power source, while pumping from the new well is dependent on the electricity supply, which usually runs from 3 pm to 7 am daily.
