Min Croal Addresses Region Three Water Issues.
September 29, 2024 – The Ministry of Housing and Water, in collaboration with the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), is actively addressing water supply issues in Region Three.
On Friday, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, visited Vergenoegen, Parika, and Pouderoyen to inspect ongoing efforts aimed at improving water access in the region.
Accompanied by GWI’s Regional Manager, Aggrey Anderson, and a technical team, the Minister outlined several key initiatives underway to alleviate water shortages affecting residents.
Vergenoegen Treatment Plant
At the Vergenoegen Treatment Plant (WTP), one of the three wells was out of operation due to electrical and pump system issues, which led to a reduction in water delivery hours.
Emergency repairs were completed on Friday evening, restoring regular service to the 6,000 households (approximately 24,000 residents) served by the plant, spanning from Zeelugt to parts of Vergenoegen.
Minister Croal also highlighted a major $633 million upgrade currently underway at the plant, which will double the current output of 5 Mega Liters per Day (MLD) within the next month. A new $110 million well, originally drilled for the upgraded system, will be connected to the existing network within two weeks to further boost capacity. The upgraded plant will extend water service to the Tuschen area as well.
“With any disruption, households are affected. Beyond providing reliable and safe water, we’re also focused on creating system redundancy to prevent future interruptions,” said Minister Croal.
Parika Treatment Plant
Minister Croal also visited the Parika WTP, where rehabilitation of the Hubu well has caused temporary low water coverage.
The rehabilitation is expected to be completed by this weekend, with water services returning to normal by Monday for residents of Parika, Hubu, and neighboring areas.
The Minister noted that the new $850 million Parika WTP is now 80% complete. When finished in December, it will serve 3,500 households from Parika to sections of Vergenoegen, delivering a minimum service pressure of 1,500 PSI.
The system will interlink with the Vergenoegen WTP, improving water quality and meeting a demand of 4.5 MLD. The plant will include a contact tank, two filters with a capacity of 6.8 MLD, and four booster pumps to ensure steady service.
Pouderoyen Treatment Plant
At Pouderoyen, GWI recently completed the upgrade of the Pouderoyen No. 2 Well, restoring regular distribution hours after the collapse of the No. 1 well had disrupted supply.
Plans are also in motion to upgrade the Pouderoyen WTP to improve transmission and production, extending treated water service to La Grange, which currently lacks access.
The expansion will increase service coverage from 5,000 households (approximately 20,000 residents) to nearly 9,000 households (36,000 residents).
Upgrades will include a new filtration system and enhanced chlorination systems, ensuring cleaner and more reliable water for residents across the region.
