The National Assembly yesterday approved $21 billion in supplementary provisions for the Ministry of Housing and Water which will see the establishment of seven new water treatment plants and the construction of at least two new wells among other expansion programmes.
The sum of $21,050,450,000 forms part of the $44.7 billion supplementary provision that the government approved in the House yesterday.
Of the $21 billion, $15.9 billion will be going to facilitate infrastructural works in new and existing housing areas since the government has been rapidly announcing the establishment of new housing developments. Additionally, $250.2 million will go to facilitating the completion of water supply interventions in hinterland areas; $4.231 billion to cater for additional upgrading of coastal water supply infrastructure as well as extending service to unserved and underserved areas; and $660 million to replace ageing and deteriorated pipelines within Georgetown.
Minister Collin Croal told the House that Guyana Water Inc (GWI) is capable of testing the water quality delivered to residents and explained that there are regional laboratories established for testing. He added that water quality is being monitored. Only about 52% of GWI customers on the coast receive treated water, noting that it spans from regions two to six and includes a part of Bartica.
Cognizant of the fact, he said that President Irfaan Ali has committed his government to ensuring that at least 90% of coastlanders receive treated water by 2025. He noted that in order to achieve the intended target, the GWI is working with a 2021-2025 plan where it is meticulously projecting costs for every step,
“…in order to achieve the 90% coverage that I’ve just spoken about, it will cost the people of Guyana $28 billion, I repeat that figure $28 billion and so the resources that we have come here for [in the] supplementary [budget] is intended as part of our commitment to achieve that target,” he said.
Croal told the House that of the $4.2 billion being sought under the coastal water supply initiative, $3.891 billion will go to starting the coastal water treatment, infrastructure construction and upgrade programme.
Providing a breakdown of how the monies will be expended, Croal said that the main target includes the construction of seven new coastal water treatment plants across the coast. He said that contracts are expected to be awarded by the end of August since the projects had already been advertised.
He told the National Assembly that one new treatment plant will be constructed in Region Two and will see over 15,400 persons benefitting. It will serve from Taymouth Manor to Good Hope along the Essequibo Coast. The Minister also pointed out that the water in Region Two, particularly in the vicinity of Charity, has the highest level of iron.
In Region Three, GWI will be establishing three additional treatment facilities that will serve almost 50,000 persons. They are expected to be constructed at Ruby, East Bank Essequibo, Parfait Harmonie and Canal Number Two on the West Bank of Demerara.
Croal said that Region Four would see the establishment of treatment plants at Coldingen on the East Coast, Soesdyke on the East Bank and Cummings Lodge.
“Let me just also mention this, Cove and John to Mahaica is also expected to benefit but that will follow the current studies on the usage of the Hope Canal and from those studies then the necessary resources will be made available because the study will inform us in terms of usage of that freshwater and from that we will be able to have that range Cove and John to Mahaica to be catered for,” the minister said.
He added “We have also catered for the upgrade of a number of water treatment plants in the various regions and in fact, there are 12. So Region Three, let’s start with Region Three, the treatment plant upgrade is expected to be done at Vergenoegen where you have a current plant as well as Pouderoyen and Fellowship. So those are three in Region Three. The plants at Better Hope, Mon Repos and Friendship those are the three in Region Four. Further on the East Bank, you have Eccles, Covent Garden and Grove. Region Five, the Cotton Tree plant will be upgraded and Region Six, New Amsterdam as well as Port Mourant.”
Croal said that GWI has also set up a department to deal with the water supply initiative.
He said that $340 million will be spent on the expansion of the Friendship and Sophia water treatment plans. The minister related that transmission mains will be extended across several villages. The ministry is also currently changing several decades-old pipes in Georgetown.
The Ministry intends to drill at least two new wells on the coast and has thus far identified Turkeyen and Shelter Belt as the locations.
