Guyana: Timehri residents face prolonged water supply challenges

Guyana: The community of Timehri on the East Bank of Demerara is facing serious issues related to its water supply and is approaching its fifth year of limited access to water from the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI).

Despite several public commitments and the allocation of millions of dollars for new well projects, they are still struggling for proper water supply.

In an interview given to a local news channel the community of Hyde Park, Timehri Hill Top, Timehri North and parts of the Docks area and Base Road stated that the situation is becoming more intense now as it becomes a major inconvenience than a small one. They stated they have to “struggle for the basic and necessary service of water.”

The residents also pointed towards the well drilling project by the GWI in February last year, in which they got the budget of $38 million and close to $50 million for two potable water wells in the area when related works were included.

The community also noted that the project went through the tendering process and appears to have been awarded but despite all these, no information related to the project, manager, contractors, starting and completion date has been shared with them.

Responding to the interview of the locals, GWI commented that the “project we have shared is not abandoned but is actively progressing, as one of the wells is already established in the area and serving the residents.”

They further stated that they will soon start the drilling of two new deep wells, the rehabilitation of the Timehri Water Treatment Plant, which upgrades to transmission and distribution networks.

This rehabilitation will work on the Timehri Number Five well to improve the water supply in the area.

Regarding the Timehri No. 1 New Deep Well, the utility company stated “this project was awarded to QA Civil Works and is currently over 90 percent completed and the remaining 100 percent will be done soon.” 

“This well is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2025, and is also expected to produce approximately 220 cubic metres of water per hour, with the capacity to serve an estimated 22,000 residents,” they further stated.

Lastly, the company asked the locals and the residents to be patient and understanding as the project requires time to be completed. Also the further update related to the project will be shared soon.