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$1.6B expended to improve water distribution system – Mid-year Report
Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Housing and Water had expended $1.6 billion, of the $4 billion allocated to it, in the first half of 2021, for improvements to access quality potable water across the country. This is according to the Ministry of Finance’s Mid-Year Report.
The report revealed that, to reduce losses in the distribution systems, works commenced to install 20,000 Meters to residential and business areas, which will reduce non-revenue water while increasing the billed volume from 2,600,000 cubic meters to approximately 3,300,000 cubic meters per month by the end of the year.
However, the upgrade of the Sophia and Eccles water treatment plants will be completed in the second half of the year, to benefit approximately 20,000 residents. Water production facilities will be rehabilitated at Eccles and a new storage tank will be activated at Sophia to increase the storage capacity from 2,500 cubic meters to 5,100 cubic meters. According to the report, works on a new raw water main at Bartica was completed, benefiting 8,000 residents and improving production capacity. Further, the expansion of the Covent Garden, Grove, Friendship and Vergenoegen water treatment plants will commence in the third quarter to benefit approximately 30,000 residents. It was also mentioned in the report that the works on the transmission and distribution networks at Vlissengen Road, Newtown, Kitty will be completed in the second half of the year to benefit approximately 2,500 residents.
Kaieteur News learnt that in the hinterland communities, an amount of $148 million was expended during the first half of the year, to complete expansion works on water springs at Mabaruma, Barabina and Wainaina, as well as the installation of electrical motor driven pumps at Mabaruma and Barabina. The residents are now benefiting from approximately nine hours of potable water, compared to the four hours, per day previously.
The report noted that the first half of the year saw the completion of new wells at Port Kaituma and Oronoque in Region One, increasing the supply of water to 400 residents. The Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) in-house team completed the drilling of new wells in Region Nine at Katoonarib, Toka, Potarinau and Parikarwarinau, and the installation of water supply networks will be completed in the second half of the year by engaging the respective communities. In addition, new wells will be drilled at Baramita, Arakaka, Matthew’s Ridge, Khan’s Hill, Wauna, Kwebanna, Huradiah, Waramuri and Manawarin in Region One during the second half of the year, using the same model as Region Nine.
Also in the second half of the year, works will commence on the upgrading of water supply systems at Jawalla and Kamarang in Region One; Monkey Mountain, Taruka and Kaibarupai in Region Eight; and Annai and St. Ignatius in Region Nine. Regarding the $1.1 billion allocated for sanitation, the sum of $352 million was expended in the first half of 2021 to improve sanitary conditions and strengthen the solid waste management programme at the local level for appropriate disposal of garbage. Nevertheless, the report pointed out also that the construction of Cell II at the Haags Bosch Sanitary landfill site was completed, and it is expected that 1.4 kilometers (km) of internal access road to the site will be rehabilitated in the second half of the year to serve residents and businesses of Georgetown, East Bank of Demerara and Region Three. Contracts were awarded for the upgrading of existing disposal sites at Rose Hall and Lusignan, with works expected to commence early in the third quarter. Furthermore, the upgrading of the disposal sites at Lima, Bellevue, Charity, D’Edward, Port Kaituma and Lethem will commence in the second half of the year.
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