Potable water for ‘Five Miles’ soon
Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal in discussion, on Thursday, with GWI Regional Manager, Neil Thomas (left), and Head of Transmission and Distribution, Carlos Rodriques (right) (Rabindra Rooplall photo)
Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal in discussion, on Thursday, with GWI Regional Manager, Neil Thomas (left), and Head of Transmission and Distribution, Carlos Rodriques (right) (Rabindra Rooplall photo)

–as authorities move to source $30M booster pump

RESIDENTS of Five Miles, Bartica, are expected to have access to potable water in three months, as Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, announced that provisions have been made for the procurement and installation of a booster pump to channel water to the community. Minister Croal, during a meeting with residents at the Four Miles Health Centre, on Thursday, announced that $30 million has been set aside for the procurement of a booster pump, which, when activated, will channel potable water from Four Miles to Five Miles.

“The difficulty we have at this point, however, is for Five Miles, and that is because the current generating pumping capacity has to climb a hill which is 83 metres which is quite a bit of height, and the remedy is a booster pump that will be placed in Four Miles so that water can be channeled to Five Miles,” the minister said Adding that the procurement and installation are expected to take three months, Minister Croal said the water treatment plant at Bartica is at an elevation of 25 metres, but, in its current state, could only pump water to an elevation of 45 feet; this covers up to Four Miles.

The booster pump, he explained will be set up at an elevation of 45 feet and this would allow for the pumping of water to an elevation of 85 feet, thereby allowing residents of Five Miles to access potable water for the first time. Minister Croal had initially said that residents of Five Miles would have had access to potable water by December last but there was a delay due to technical difficulties.
He noted that the booster pump could only be sourced overseas and the lengthy tender process forced the delay in getting it here.

“What I can assure you now, with the additional works required, in another week GWI [Guyana Water Incorporated] will be going out to tender for the procurement of the pump as well as the materials to ensure that the work is done… the difficulty I have is that the pump is not sourced locally and the outside timeline is three months,” he said. The minister, however, assured residents that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is committed to delivering on its promise to the residents.

The Bartica treatment plant sources water from the Essequibo River and this is then treated and distributed to residents in the town. Of recent, a parallel distribution line was installed to provide continuous flow and additional water to the plant.
As a result, in two weeks, this would allow for additional pressure and increased hours of water to residents.
The water plant currently supplies water over an 18-hour period to central Bartica and One Mile to Four Miles. With the increased supply of water of about 320 cubic metres (up from the current 210 cubic metres) the plant should be able to pump water 24 hours a day. The project to install the new booster station would benefit 875 residents of the town.

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