Potable water returns to Chiung Mouth after 4 years

May 02, 2021 News

The Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, cutting the ribbon at the commissioning ceremony in Chiung Mouth.

The water supply system that was installed.

Kaieteur News – After four years without water, residents of Chiung Mouth Village in Region Eight, now once again have access to potable water in their homes.

This was possible following the construction of a new water supply system to the tune of $30 million. The system was commissioned on Friday by the Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues.

At the commissioning ceremony, Minister Rodrigues said that prior to her appointment; she had visited the village and pledged to address the water woes the residents face. She noted that after becoming a Minister last August, the realisation of the Chiung Mouth Water System was one of the first items on her agenda, with Friday being her third visit.

According to Minister Rodrigues, the completion of work bypassed the original timeline of December 2020. She, however, noted that this was unavoidable due to the challenges posed by the inclement weather, which caused the rig to become stuck en route to the project site. She stressed the importance of turning a commitment into a reality, regardless of how long it takes and despite the challenges.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) Hinterland Director, Ramchand Jailal, said that “residents had been without any access to potable water for several years due to an aged water system becoming non-functional.”

He said, “The old well was too shallow and therefore didn’t last long. As such, the villagers depended heavily on water from creeks, which are located long distances away from the community. They also practiced rainwater harvesting.”

The close to 200 residents were elated to have potable water once more, as they detailed the long distances they had to travel to access water on a daily basis.

The overall project entailed the drilling of a potable water well to a depth of 120 meters, construction of a concrete base on a hill and installation of a storage system, installation of a photovoltaic (solar) pumping system, the laying of more than 3,000 meters of pipelines for a distribution network and 18 individual service connections.

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