A borehole is a narrow shaft drilled into the ground for various purposes, including the extraction of water or other liquid such as petroleum or natural gas.

The current project is part of a larger undertaking being funded by the World Bank and will see the construction of water treatment plants in Vergenoegen and Lima and Cotton Tree on Essequibo Coast.

The drilling at Vergenoegen, by a foreign contractor, cost $45M and will benefit 18,000 residents between De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara and St. Lawrence, also at East Bank Essequibo.

That along with the treatment plants at Lima, Vergenoegen and Cotton Tree, to be completed in November, will serve a total of 48,000 consumers.

The overall expenditure involved is estimated at G$1,200M from an entire grant of US$12M for the Water Sector Consolidation Project (WaSCP).

However, an official said the failure of the contractor to finish the borehole on time and meet the required specifications has caused GWI to terminate that contract and resort to its in-house capacity for the completion.

“The issue of underperforming contractors has become endemic within Guyana’s construction sector and has prompted the action of GWI to deal severely with those who fail to deliver on their contractual obligations,” he said.

The official said, currently, work is ongoing at the site to conclude arrangements for the interconnection of the borehole to the existing network and installation of a pump and motor.

The latter has been identified as a critical activity and GWI has affirmed that all efforts will be made to expeditiously effect the borehole activation.

“The commissioning of the borehole is especially timely, considering the recent failure of the Tuschen borehole which resulted in the suspension of supply to approximately 1,000 residents in villages of Zeelugt and Tuschen. It also bears testimony to the commitment of GWI to embrace forward planning in its effort to provide a safe and sustainable supply of water to the residents of Guyana,” the official said.

He noted that the Vergenoegen borehole was not the only response GWI offered to the suffering residents of Tuschen and Zeelugt and pointed out that the failed Tuschen borehole was rehabilitated but a reduced capacity was achieved on account of its age.

The official emphasised that the new borehole at Vergenoegen will supplement existing facilities until the larger investments are realised. In the meantime, though, GWI has been actively engaged in trucking water to the affected residents.