– in Region Four  alone
ABOUT $3.6 billion have been invested in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) water sector over the past five years and, of that sum, in excess of $2.6 billion in Georgetown and nearly $1 billion on East Coast and East Bank Demerara.

Minister of Housing and Water, Mr. Irfaan Ali said the investments are geared towards improving the quality of water produced for the population, in keeping with the mandate of Guyana Water Inc. (GWI).
“These initiatives are all aimed at ensuring that persons have access to potable water, a vital requirement for the health and well-being of all citizens and we will extend our programmes to deliver this,” he assured.
Some of the projects implemented include the construction of the Central Ruimveldt Water Treatment Plant, rehabilitation of the Sewer System, the Shelter Belt Treatment Plant, the Sewer Receiving Facility in Tucville, the Transmission and Distribution Systems in the different zones of Georgetown, as well as the extension of mains in Agricola, East Bank Demerara.
Minister Ali calculated that the per capita investment for the past five years is in excess of $10,000.
“This is over $50,000 for every household and, for the next five years, the per capita investment is expected to be nearly $20,000 with the implementation of additional projects,” he indicated.
Among them are the $2 billion Georgetown Sanitation Improvement Project, which makes provision to rehabilitate all sewer stations; replacement of sewer and riser mains and the supply and installation of new sewer pumps; replacing mains in the capital city and upgrading treatment plants, drilling of boreholes, installation of transmission and distribution mains as well as the upgrade of service connections.
The Georgetown Water Supply and Sewerage Programme Two, which the Government of Guyana undertook, provided for the construction of a modern water treatment plant at Sophia and Central Ruimveldt.
In light of this, the Sophia Water Treatment Plant was successfully completed earlier this year at a cost of $300M and is fully functional, Ali reported.
He said: “It boasts state-of-the-art technology, such as gravity backwash and the manufacture and use of sodium hypo-chlorite, which helps in the purification process from which close to 30,000 people in Georgetown, living around Sophia will benefit.”
The Minister gave his assurance that the water meets the standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and it will be monitored consistently on site to ensure that the required parameters are set, including iron, colour and turbidity.
In addition to this, consistent disinfection is done to ensure that the water is safe for consumption, he said. (Chevon Singh)