–with commissioning of $12M well

OWING to the commissioning of the Huradiah Water Supply System, roughly 500 households at Huradiah and Acquero in the Moruca sub-district of Barima-Waini (Region One) will now have access to potable water for the first time.

The $12 million system was commissioned by the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, on Saturday.

Director of Hinterland Services at the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Ramchand Jailall; Vice-Chairperson of Region One, Annansha Peters, other local representatives and residents were at the simple commissioning ceremony.

Prior to the establishment of a water system, residents utilised water from the nearby creeks and practised rain harvesting.

Minister Croal said that the government has emphasised providing a better quality of life for Indigenous Peoples and will ensure that they have safer water for consumption, and also benefit from other governmental initiatives.

“More resources will be pumped into your region to ensure that you are equally benefitting and accessing the development […] in terms of social welfare and equally for infrastructure because what the people on the coastland experience you must experience wherever you are in this beautiful country,” Minister Croal said.

He related that when the government was elected to office in 2020, an analysis of water coverage revealed that only 46 per cent of hinterland communities had access to potable water.

With an investment of approximately $2 billion, the PPP/C administration has since raised hinterland water coverage to 75 per cent by the end of 2022.

Through Budget 2023, some $1.4 billion is expected to be expended to increase the water coverage to 87 per cent in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine.

In the Moruca sub-district, wells are expected to be drilled in several communities such as Santa Rosa, Kamwatta and Parakeese among others.

The scope of work for the Huradiah Water Supply System included the drilling of the potable water well (57 meters, or 186 feet), installation of approximately 4,125 meters (4.1 km) of distribution pipes, installation of a photovoltaic pumping system, the construction of a perimeter fence, the installation of 75 service connections, and three stand pipes at Acquero Landing and Huradiah/Cabora Junction to benefit persons traversing the area.

Jailall said that the well was drilled by GWI’s PAT rig and in-house drilling team. Additionally, the installation of the distribution network, pumping system and fence was executed by the Santa Rosa Village Council under GWI’s supervision.

This not only employed residents, but it also reduced the cost of the project. Moreover, Community Service Officers (CSOs) have been trained to assist with the operation and maintenance of the system.

For Nalleine James, a resident of the area, the project will bring much-needed relief to her family and end its days of “fetching water.”

“Before we had to punish to get water. We had to go to the creek far from our home. So, now we’re very thankful and happy that we have water in our area,” James said.

Another resident, Tricia Rodrigues, also noted that the new system will improve her daily life.

Rodrigues said: “I had to be using only the water from the rain because my pond water was very bad with iron or something that used to have this rust over it, so I suffered a lot for water”.

While the project currently serves 85 per cent of the area, an extension programme will be undertaken in 2023 to serve the remaining residents.