THE Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) yesterday officially commissioned its $1.6 billion Japanese-funded water treatment plant at Queenstown, Corriverton; and as a result of its operation, over 15,000 persons will benefit from safe water. President Jagdeo was on hand to declare the plant in operation.
The new plant was funded by the Government of Japan in the form of grant aid made through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The project was awarded to Japanese based Tokura Corporation and sub-contracted to locally based Dwayne Ferdinand. It encompassed the construction of a new water treatment facility and elevated storage tank, the rehabilitation of two existing pump stations and the installation of 8 km transmission mains.
Impressing upon the gathering of residents the importance of water, President Jagdeo said that by 2030, some 85 percent of the world’s population will face shortage of water. “We are fortunate in Guyana that we have a large amount of fresh water, but it is not unlimited and therefore we have to start appreciating this valuable resource and we have to start using it as though it is valuable,” he said.
“And this is compounded when we start treating the water; because when you had untreated water the costs are still higher than what you pay for it. There is a subsidy of over $2 billion a year to the water entity from the Government. So we don’t cover the running cost, much less the capital costs of providing water. But when you come to treated water, it becomes infinitely more expensive to treat it and therefore we have to ensure that the water is not wasted,” he said.
The President said that in many parts of the world today, many people don’t have access to this scarce resource, which is too costly to them. “So I hope that we all develop an appreciation of where we are going as a country and how [it is about] management of resources,” Jagdeo said.
Speaking at the commissioning, CEO of GWI, Yuri Chandisingh, said that the company will work assiduously to ensure that the project will be here for generations to come. He said that the young people must be educated on water conservation. “Help influence your parents and grandparents…we must practice sound conservation now,” he said, adding that the plant is a highly energy-efficient one. Modifying the company’s tagline, Chandisingh said: “Water is life…please pay for it.”
Describing the facility, Japan’s Ambassador to Guyana, Tatsuaki Iwata, whose Embassy is based in Venezuela, said that it has three characteristics. Firstly, it will utilise bacteria to clean the water. Secondly, the tank is on a platform that is 25 metres above the ground, meaning that water that high up will be subject to pressure due to gravity. Thirdly, the project is a highly conservation-minded one.
Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Dominican Republic, Tadashi Ikeshiro, expressed his appreciation to President Jagdeo and Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali for their contributions to the success of the project. He expressed the hope that the facility will be maintained by the people of Guyana and that it will further strengthen the relationship between Guyana and Japan.
Minister Ali, in his remarks at the opening ceremony, said that the event was not just about the commissioning of the modern facility, but also about celebrating the friendship between Guyana and Japan.
Ali said that because of the project, there has been transfer of technology and knowledge because of the skills sharing in the construction phase of the project.
He said that the facility fits into the Government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy because of its low energy consumption. But he said that the facility will still need tremendous amounts of resources to be spent on care and maintenance.
The Minister noted that the delivery of water still exceeds the revenues of the GWI. He noted that over the last five years, a total of $6 billion had been spent in the sector in East Berbice. And speaking of similar projects around the country, the Minister said that very soon there will be the commissioning of an iron removal plant in Region 3 at Vergenoegen.
According to GWI Director of Capital Investment, Ramchand Jailal, the new Queenstown plant has the capacity to produce 5.5 mega litres of water daily. He said that the plant currently serves the residents of Number 54 Village to Line Path and will be extended to residents of Moleson Creek as more work progresses.
The new plant concludes the second phase of the Government of Japan Water Sector Grant Aid. The first phase, which involved the construction of Number 56 Village water treatment plant, was successfully completed in 2008.