THE residents in various communities along the East Bank of Demerara corridor can look forward to better access to potable water and, in some cases, improved water quality, thanks to the ongoing upgrades of several facilities.

The Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, toured various facilities between Eccles and Caledonia earlier today, inspecting a number of new well sites and treatment plants that are being built.

The Minister toured the Eccles Well site and Water Treatment Plant, the Covent Garden Well and Water Treatment Plant, the Diamond Well, the Grove Water Treatment Plant, and the Caledonia New Plant, along with Marlon Daniels, Executive Director, GWI, and other technical experts from the water company.

With the activation of a new well and the installation of two extra filters, the capacity of the Eccles Plant has increased from 5ML to 15ML as a result of the upgrade. A large amount of work has already been completed at this facility, with a completion date planned for January.

Minister Croal stated that the new well will be operational on December 21, 2023, resulting in an immediate increase in service delivery for about 18,000 households in Eccles, Bagotstown, Peter’s Hall (Nandy Park, Republic Park, Republic Gardens, Windsor Gardens), and Providence.

Also, similar works are being done at the Covent Garden Well and Water Treatment facility, and when completed, additional 21,000 people of Mocha, Herstelling, and Farm will benefit from enhanced access.
Notably, on December 21, the new Diamond Well will be activated, resulting in increased services for residents of that community and its environs.

Minister Croal praised the technical staff at GWI for their efforts on this project, adding that the facility was finished by an in-house team. Despite a number of unanticipated failures, including the collapse of the first well drilled, the GWI team was able to complete and deliver on their mandate.

Meanwhile, upgrades are being made to the Grove Well and Treatment Plants, as well as the Caledonia Plant. The upgrades at Grove will benefit approximately 18,000 residents, while the upgrades at the Caledonia Plant will benefit another 12,000 residents from Good Success, Craig, New Hope, Friendship, Garden of Eden, Brickery, Supply, Support, Relief, Land of Canaan, Sarah Johanna, Pearl, Caledonia, Coverden, Den Heuvel, and Soesdyke.