THIRTEEN large water treatment plants are expected to be completed this year, seven of which have already been awarded and are under construction, with the remaining six to be tendered.
This was revealed by Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues during an interview with the Guyana Dialogue on Thursday last.

Minister Rodrigues said the ministry has focused on three aspects of water treatment, one of them being access to water. With close to 100 per cent of Guyana’s coastal population having access to water, she noted that there are few without access on the coast and the hinterland.
“Over the last three years, we’ve been able to give 35,000 residents first time access to water.

The second thing that we’ve been focused on is the treated water programme. So, we came in, we did an assessment, we were about 52 per cent treated water coverage, and our strategic plan is to move that to 90 per cent coverage by 2025,” Minister Rodrigues said, adding that this is treated water coverage along the coast.
“We have five additional treatment plants that are being tendered right now, and as soon as that process is completed, those contracts will be awarded, and we will commence construction. These five are being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank.”

An additional water treatment plant will be constructed at Hope, where the ministry is doing a pilot on the use of surface water to feed the water treatment plant.
She explained that this, along with the rehabilitation and extension of existing water treatment plants, and the upgrading water distribution and improved infrastructure, will all aid in the delivery of clean, safe drinking water to the coastal population, as well those residing in the hinterland.

The minister highlighted the need to focus on hinterland water. “We have drilled 75 wells in the past three years, significantly improving access to water in the hinterland. And this year we plan to drill 40 additional wells in the hinterland regions to give our Amerindian brothers and sisters access, and to ensure that their access to water improves to 100 per cent by 2025 as well. So, that’s our target for the hinterland.”
As a result of these efforts by the government through the Housing and Water Ministry, access to potable water in the hinterland regions has improved from 46 per cent in 2020, to 86 per cent to date.