– ‘sod turned’ for construction of new water treatment plant
A $1.6B state-of-art water treatment plant will be constructed at Queenstown, Corriverton, Region Six, as the Ministry of Housing and Water perseveres in its efforts to provide basic infrastructure and improve the quality of service provided to residents.         

The Housing and Water Ministry through its agency, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Friday held an official “sod turning” ceremony at the Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre, Number 79 Village, Corriverton, Region Six for the construction of the facility.

Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali addressing the gathering.  In background, Region Six Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha and Japanese Counsellor, Kiyoshi  Takeuchi.

The event saw representatives from the Japanese Government, members of the business community, students and residents who turned out to witness the event.

The construction of the new plant forms part of GWI’s project for water supply in Corriverton which is intended to improve the quality of service for residents from Number 51 Village to Moleson Creek.

The first phase of the project had involved the construction of the Number 56 Village Water Treatment Plant which was successfully completed in 2008 at a cost of $1.1B.

The construction of this plant is the second phase of a modernisation process to provide residents with potable water. Upon completion, it will benefit an additional 18,000 residents from Number 74 Village to Moleson Creek. The two plants will provide over 33,000 residents with an improved water supply.

Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali, during his address, said the sod turning ceremony marks the beginning of the construction process for the facility that will impact the lives of more than 18,000 people.

“These are critical investments that will ensure that Guyana will not only provide an essential service to its people, but will ensure we meet the goals and targets set out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)…these are critical if we are to accomplish that great task of eradicating poverty,” he said.

Japanese Counsellor, Kiyoshi Takeuchi (left) and Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali (right) turn sod for the construction of the new Queenstown water treatment plant, Region Six. Looking on are Region Six Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha, Guyana Water Incorporated’s, Chief Executive Officer (acting) Yuri Chandisingh and other officials.

He further expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for the intervention while adding that such collaborative efforts continue to cement bilateral relationships.

“I want to thank the people and Government of Japan for this gesture of goodwill, one that most definitely verifies the strong relationship we share, one that will provide physical evidence for the work of Japan and the contribution of the Japanese Government to the development of Guyana,” he said.

The Housing and Water Minister said that residents over the years have benefitted tremendously from the Japanese Government’s interventions, noting that the construction of a modern hospital in Berbice was one such intervention.

The GWI over the last five years, he said, has expended more than $3B in the water sector for the region.

“This is another milestone and implementation of our turn-around plan for Region Six,” the Minister added.

Minister Ali further outlined that GWI has finalised a programme for 2010 which will see the construction of two new boreholes in Region Six and a number of upgrades and extension of distribution network to better serve customers.

“These investments are not limited; in this project our investment is far from being within its optimal point,” he stated.

Counsellor, Embassy of Japan, Kiyoshi Takeuchi, said on completion of the facility, residents of Corriverton would be able to enjoy an improved supply and quality of water, through the construction of the plant as well as the rehabilitation of several wells, and improvement in water distribution systems.

Takeuchi commended the Government of Guyana for not only strengthening its relationship with Japan through cooperative efforts, but more importantly, for maintaining its commitment to the development and well-being of its people.

“The Government of Japan is honoured to have partnered with the Government of Guyana as it seeks to take its country and people forward…The cooperative and friendly relations, long shared by Japan and the Republic of Guyana, have provided us both with a solid foundation on which we can continue to build and provide mutual support, especially in the context of the current global economic crisis,” he concluded.

Region Six Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha said the event was historic since the construction of the new facility will add to existing treatment facilities which have been constructed over the years.

He said the region is moving forward economically and that such a project will help to resolve the water supply issues which affect residents in the Number 74 to Moleson creek area.

“This is a very big investment…Region Six is taking up its rightful place in the development of our country,” Mustapha said.

The administration, in 2004, in recognising the need to upgrade the quality of the potable water supply, indicated its plans to the Japanese Government and it was decided that two water treatment plants would be constructed between Number 51 Village and Moleson Creek to alleviate the water problems in those areas.

Subsequently, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided a grant of US$12M to facilitate the projects.

The contract for the project was awarded to Tokura Corporation, a Japanese firm.

The plant will have the capacity to produce up to 5.5 milliliters of purified water per day and is expected to be completed by August 2010.

The project will include elevated storage, rehabilitation of two existing pump stations and the installation of eight kilometres of PVC transmission pipelines, and will also utilise the slow sand filtration technology which was successfully implemented in 2008 at the Number 56 village water treatment plant.