Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal and Region One Chairman Brentnol Ashley visited the new $35 million well site at Mabaruma Settlement that is scheduled for completion in March.
According to a Ministry of Housing and Water press release, the well has been drilled to a depth of 105 metres by Platinum Investment Inc and is currently undergoing tests to determine its production rate. The project is managed by the Guyana Water Inc (GWI).
The release quoted Croal as saying: “It is intended just after that to connect it to the Mabaruma Settlement grid. So, we’re talking about over a thousand persons who will benefit directly from this well.” He emphasised that the entire water supply system was scheduled for completion in March, addressing the longstanding water supply challenges in Mabaruma.
The release said that Jocelyn McAllister, the representative for the contracting firm, explained that they employed specialised equipment for geo-resistivity logging studies to identify the optimal well location. In the rocky Mabaruma Settlement area, the studies revealed solid rocks at least 50 metres below the surface, as opposed to the usual fractured rocks that allow water to permeate.
“Because of that study we were able to complete the drilling in just over a week and we were successful,” McAllister was quoted as saying.
With government planning to achieve 100% potable water supply in the hinterland by 2025, GWI is actively expanding water supply in Mabaruma, with a new well being drilled in Aracuru, the release said. Contracts totaling $77 million have been awarded for additional wells in Barima Koriabo, St Anselm, Red Hill, and Powaikuru. Several other communities are slated to benefit from new wells under the 2024 programme, it added.
A new office is under construction to enhance regional services, as the current setup is within the compound of the Regional Democratic Council of Barima-Waini, the release said. It added that GWI also plans to build a new treatment plant in Mabaruma, as part of its 2025 water initiatives.
