GUYANA Water Incorporated wishes to respond to letter titled “Is this what we call progress”, in the Kaieteur News dated Monday November 15, 2010.  
We thank you for the opportunity to respond and wish to assure Mr. Tekchand and customers of Blocks “N”, “X” and “Y” Cornelia Ida that GWI continues to work towards significantly improving the quality of service. Prior to the operation of the new Cornelia Ida Well Station, customers received water from the Fellowship Water Treatment Plant. There exists no Den Amstel Treatment Plant as stated in Mr. Tekchand’s letter. 
The communities served by the Fellowship Treatment Plant, including Cornelia Ida, had outgrown the capacity of the plant.  Hence, a new well station was created to provide relief to customers of Cornelia Ida.  
Because of the massive expansion of the communities served by the Fellowship Water Treatment Plant, residents of Cornelia Ida experienced significant low pressure and poor levels of service.  It was then crucial for GWI to drill a new well within the community that would improve the water pressure received by each customer. 
The new Cornelia Ida Well Station resulted in tremendous improvements.  The water pressure provided to the community increased significantly; four times the amount previously received by way of the Fellowship Water Treatment Plant. 
The new well station was commissioned on Saturday, July 10, 2010 by Hon. Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, who stated “while the improvement in water service will commence with a well station, development is incremental, and the overarching aim of the Government is to provide purified water to all of Guyana.”
Customers must also be aware that water supplied by the well station is extracted from the A-Sands aquifer, which is regularly tested by GWI’s Scientific Services Department.  No hazardous contaminants have been detected since the operation of the well station.  Untreated water does not mean it is not suitable for consumption since the water sourced from naturally occurring and protected aquifers is not contaminated.  
Should Mr. Tekchand require further advice on this matter we invite him to contact GWI’s Public Relations Department on 225-0477 or via the e-mail address pro@gwi.gy.   
Permit me to remind all GWI customers with questions regarding water quality to contact our Customer Services Call Centre on 227-8701 or via the e-mail address customercallcentre@gwi.gy.   
Once again, Guyana Water Incorporated wishes to thank your publication for highlighting the problems which affect our customers.  We remain firm in our commitment to significantly improve water quality across Guyana.