–to improve access at Cummings Lodge New Housing Scheme

WHILE promoting water conservation, the government is also working towards delivering purified water to 90 per cent of the population by 2025, and residents in the Cummings Lodge New Housing Scheme can also expect a new water treatment plant and well that will cost $125M.

In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, explained that while the President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) are actively working towards the development of the country’s infrastructure, ensuring that all citizens are in possession of their own homes and creating job opportunities amongst several other initiatives; his ministry is also working on ensuring that all Guyanese have potable water.

Minister Croal said that, because of the magnitude of some communities on the coastland, they are installing treatment plants and wells at the cost of $125 million so that the people can have easier access to water supply in their homes.

According to him, “we have started to drill a new well at Cummings Lodge New Housing Scheme, and that will supply the new treatment plant that we are also installing there. The area will obviously be supplied through the treatment plant, but even though it is for the Cummings Lodge community, we would normally interlink the system so that the neighbouring communities will also benefit from it”.

He continued: “It is very much needed in that area because of the capacity of the community, and while we are considering the population of these communities, I must mention that we are also drilling another well at Turkeyen, which is at the back of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).”

While Minister Croal said that the well at Turkeyen will commence shortly, he also shared that several other coastal wells are being drilled, along with many other developments that will happen in the area. The housing minister also stated that, in order to eliminate the problem of residents not receiving adequate treated water in their homes, such projects are very necessary.
According to him, the Sophia water system alone cannot provide the different communities with the required amount of water. However, considering that most of the areas are fairly new or are now developing, the minister said that it is one of the main reasons the government has seen the need for the water plant and well initiatives.

The Guyana Chronicle spoke with several members of the Cummings Lodge / Turkeyen communities, and they all expressed similar sentiments. According to them, they are happy for the initiative, and they also expressed their gratitude to the government.

According to one individual, “water is always an issue in Cummings Lodge. We cannot depend on the pressure; we had to buy black tanks and depend on the rain. Now that we are getting our own well, we are happy and thankful, and I think it’s about time. We have a lot of children who are renting, and the area is very populated, so this makes sense.”

With the $17.7 billion financial allocation this year, Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) plans to spend roughly $108,850,000 of that amount to help with the digging of potable water wells in five villages in Region One. The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) recently opened tenders, and the GWI proposes to drill water wells in the Region One villages of Haimacabra, Kamwatta, Waramuri, Mabaruma Settlement, and Black Water Savannah, according to the tender documents.

Recently, it was also reported that the drilling of a $15 million well has begun in the community of Arakaka in Region One (Barima Waini) and it is expected to benefit over 100 households with potable water.