–expand affordable water services

The government is advancing plans to drill 14 new wells across four regions, strengthening water infrastructure in several developing and established communities as part of efforts to expand reliable access to potable water.

The initiative, being advanced through the Ministry of Housing and Central Housing and Planning Authority, will see six wells drilled in Region Four, four in Region Six, three in Region Three and one in Region Ten.

The planned wells are expected to support the continued development of housing schemes by ensuring that critical water infrastructure keeps pace with population growth and the expansion of residential communities.

The programme will complement wider efforts by the Guyana Water Incorporated, GWI, to improve access to water and make the service more affordable for residents.

According to GWI’s Chief Executive Officer, Shaik Baksh, the wider initiative followed a mandate from His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, for the utility to strengthen water services across Guyana.

“This is an initiative to serve the people of Guyana and to make water affordable to the people,” he said.

Among the initiatives is the establishment of water refilling stations across the regions, with at least two to three stations planned in each region.

Several are already operational, including stations at Lima in Region Two, Port Mourant in Region Six , Pouderoyen and Vergenoegen, where the CEO described the facility as a success.

The programme is also being expanded to communities including Bartica and Linden.

For residents, the stations are designed to provide a more affordable option for accessing treated water, with a five-gallon container costing just $100 to refill.

The two initiatives therefore address different but complementary aspects of water access, while the planned wells strengthen the infrastructure needed to support growing communities, the refilling stations provide residents with an accessible and lower-cost option for obtaining potable water.

Together, they form part of the government’s broader efforts to expand water services, support the development of new housing communities and improve access to an essential service across Guyana.