THE Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) has uncovered a disruption in its service at Mahdia due to illegal mining in the area.

The miners have so severely damaged the pipelines to access water to do their mining, that it has caused volumes of water to be wasted.

Consequently, there is a significant reduction in the level of service to residents, and according to Managing-Director, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles, it will now cost the company some G$2M to rectify the situation.
“If you know Mahdia,” he said, “water comes from the Salbora Creek, and it moves into the tank.
“We’re doing a lot of remodelling of the system; investing so much into improving service and quality, and these illegal activities are disrupting the system and our progress.”

According to Executive Director, Project Implementation & Partnership Building, Mr Ramchand Jailal, because of the severity of the damage to the pipelines, it will not be easy to effect repairs.
“We have systems in place to repair minor holes and cracks caused by the water pressure,” Jailal said. “But with that damage, an entire section of pipe will have to be removed and replaced, and that will take a lot of time.

“During that time, residents of Mahdia will be affected,” he added.
He also shared that one of the risks GWI is facing right now with this situation, is that they have no idea what chemicals these miners are using, and are afraid that whatever it is may contaminate the water and get to the community.

With the situation being beyond their control, GWI is now seeking the assistance of the regional administration, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Guyana Police Force to address it.

Community involvement is also being sought to stem these types of activities, so that the system can be sustainable and restored to serve the population.