City residents endure two days without water

Aug 15, 2022 News

Replacement of Church Street transmission mains along Merriman Mall

– GWI blames disruption on major breakage on Church Street

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Water Incorporated on Sunday blamed an almost two-day disruption of water in the Capital City-Georgetown on a major breakage on a 20-inch transmission main at Church Street, within the vicinity of the Indian High Commission.

In a statement, GWI said technicians toiled throughout the night on Saturday to effect repairs under difficult circumstances. “Water supply to the city was turned on at approximately 9:30am on Sunday morning. However, due to the length of time it was off, communities received water through their taps at various times,” GWI said in the statement. Thanking customers for their patience and understanding during the execution of works, GWI said it is currently undertaking the installation of pipelines along Merriman Mall is to upgrade the aged Georgetown transmission network, particularly those along Church Street.

The water company said many of the transmission mains within the Georgetown pipe distribution network are approximately 100 years old and are prone to breakages, particularly under the pressure of heavy duty vehicles. As such, it is a continuation of works undertaken at Newtown, Kitty and Cemetery Road to replace and upgrade the old pipe infrastructure in the city.

According to GWI, these upgrade works would not only improve the integrity of the pipelines, but would also improve the level of service and quality of water customers receive, as well as minimize disruptions. This is phase one of the project and the transmission lines will run from Shelterbelt to East Street. The duration of the project is 6 months. Over the past two years, GWI has expended close to $1 Billion on the Georgetown Infrastructure Renewal Project, which includes upgrades to transmission mains at Vlissengen Road, Cemetery Road and now Church Street.

Another $200M in Government’s supplementary budget is slated for projected works from Church Street to High Street, along Avenue of the Republic and from Lamaha Street to Pegasus Hotel. GWI is committed to improving its service to customers countrywide through a number of ongoing upgrade projects.