GUYANA Water Incorporated (GWI) has apologised to the citizens of Central Georgetown for the prolonged disruption of water service experienced on Saturday into Sunday morning.

According to a release, the disruption was due to a major breakage on a 20-inch transmission main on Church Street, within the vicinity of the Indian High Commission.

“It should be noted that our technicians toiled throughout the night on Saturday to effect repairs under difficult circumstances.  Water supply to the City was turned on at approximately 09:30 hours on Sunday morning. However, due to the length of time it was off, communities received water through their taps at various times. GWI thanks all customers for their patience and understanding during the execution of works,” the release said.

GWI is undertaking the installation of pipelines along Merriman’s Mall to upgrade the aged Georgetown transmission network, particularly those along Church Street.

Many of the transmission mains within the Georgetown pipe distribution network are approximately 100 years old and are prone to breakages, particularly under the pressure of heavy-duty vehicles.

“As such, it is a continuation of works undertaken at Newtown, Kitty and Cemetery Road to replace and upgrade the old pipe infrastructure in the city. These upgrade works would not only improve the integrity of the pipelines, but would also improve the level of service and quality of water customers receive, as well as minimise disruptions. This is phase one of the project and the transmission lines will run from Shelterbelt to East Street. The duration of the project is six months,” the release said.

Over the past two years, GWI has expended close to $1B on the Georgetown Infrastructure Renewal Project, which includes upgrades to transmission mains at Vlissengen Road, Cemetery Road and now Church Street.

Another $200M in Government’s supplementary budget is slated for projected works from Church Street to High Street, along Avenue of the Republic and from Lamaha Street to Pegasus Hotel.

GWI is committed to improving its service to customers countrywide through a number of ongoing upgrade projects, the release said.