Director General of Public Utilities and Aviation Ministry Reports 80% Access to Treated Water Amid Murky Water Issues

According to the Guyana Times, the Director General of the Public Utilities and Aviation Ministry stated that Guyana has expanded access to treated water from just over half of its population in 2020 to approximately 80 percent currently, according to Alfonso De Armas. De Armas highlighted the progress made in expanding access to treated water since the Government returned to office in 2020, while acknowledging concerns regarding water quality and supply, including reports of murky water and challenges in ensuring nationwide access.

De Armas stated that the country is currently at 80% access, with plans to reach 90% through the coastal water supply improvement program, which is expected to conclude soon. He mentioned that water treatment plants have been constructed along the coast, starting in Essequibo and extending to the quarantine, leading to the shift in treated water access from 50 percent to about 80 percent. Furthermore, over 300 wells have been drilled in both the hinterland and on the coast, and the transmission and distribution system has been improved, although this remains an ongoing effort.

Regarding financial investment, De Armas explained that approximately $65 billion was invested in GWI over the last six years. This expenditure covered the construction of new water treatment plants, the drilling of additional wells, and the installation of new transmission and distribution lines, which were also necessary to support thousands of newly built homes requiring reliable water access.

Addressing complaints about murky and muddy water, De Armas noted that these issues arise from several factors. He maintained that the newly constructed water treatment plants yield clean, high-quality water, describing the output as nearly perfect. He cited that the water treatment plants are significantly below the maximum standard of 0.3 milligrams per litre for iron content set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). However, he explained that distribution presents challenges because much of the infrastructure is aged. Once treated water enters these aged transmission and distribution lines, it can become rusty and contain impurities, which can cause the water to appear murky.

De Armas added that significant strides have been made in replacing these lines, though this process often causes inconvenience for residents due to road digging. He also pointed out that many residents utilize their own storage tanks, and these tanks are frequently not cleaned out, which can lead to impurities rising to the surface when water levels drop, contributing to murky water. He clarified that this does not imply GWI will not address the issue until all transmission and distribution lines are replaced.

Finally, De Armas noted that GWI functions as a highly customer-facing organization, and one of the issues he observed upon becoming Director General was the increasing volume of customer complaints. He stated that the number of customers attempting to contact the company often surpasses the capacity of its call center, which has a limited staff available to handle and resolve complaints.