OVER $60 billion has been expended on the water sector over the last four years. To this end, there is a commitment to increase treated water coverage on the coastline to at least 90 per cent by the end of this year.

This was revealed by Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal on Friday.

The minister asked for residents to have a little more patience as they continue to work assiduously to improve the quality of water being provided.

Speaking on the constant social media posts highlighting this fault in the water sector, he said that attention must be given to the overall efforts that are being made to ensure Guyanese receive better water quality.

“So, sometimes you see a discolored water is posted. Some have legitimacy, quite rightly. Some people have to clean their own tanks… but what we have done in the water sector to ensure that the changes happen as quickly as possible, that story is not really captured,” he said.

According to Minister Croal, on the coastline, everyone has access to potable water. However, the challenge is the level of service and the quality of water coming to the households.

The ministry has a massive programme that seeks to ensure that all the water on the coast is treated. He noted that on the East Coast of Demerara, it will cost around $7.5 billion to ensure that residents have 100 per cent access to treated water.

At Bachelor’s Adventure, a treatment plant that is being constructed is about 90 per cent complete, and will cost around $2 billion.

He mentioned the upgrade works being done on existing plants at Better Hope, and Friendship, which is about 95 per cent complete.

“We have the LBI and Lusignan stations, the inline filters being placed. That’s about 90 per cent complete. That’s a $250 million investment. We have the Sparendaam area, the inline filters for Sparendaam where we spent about $120 million. That work is complete,” he noted.

Minister Croal moved on to a bigger project, the Hope Canal, a $4 billion investment which will serve 3,000 customers. Work has already started on this, and once completed, it will secure the ministry’s goal of attaining 100 per cent treated water coverage on the East Coast of Demerara.

Alongside this, the minister stated that in every community, there are transmission lines being laid. This involves changing all of the lines, allowing customers to have an increased level of service.

“When we started at August 2020, we were at 52 per cent treated water coverage. As I speak, we’re about 80 to 85 per cent coverage on the coastline. And by the end of this year, we will be up to 90 per cent minimum coverage of treated water. So just a little more patience. We already have the resources that have been provided to ensure that this happens for you as quickly as possible,” Minister Croal said.