Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Shaik Baksh, disclosed the level of government investment at the commissioning of the new Parika Water Treatment Plant on Wednesday.
“The water sector is on the move. We have a strong mandate to ensure that a high level of performance is achieved to ensure the impact on the population receiving treated water and a high level of service is fulfilled,” he disclosed during the commissioning ceremony.
When it came to office in 2020, the government embarked on a strategic journey to construct seven large water treatment plants on the coast.
Three of those treatment plants are located in Region Three at Wales, Parika and La Parfaite Harmonie. Over 16,000 residents are now able to access clean water from the Wales treatment plant, which was commissioned in March 2025.
Baksh explained that the treatment facility at La Parfaite Harmonie is currently in the testing phase to ensure it is ready for full operationalisation. This plant will supply treated water to over 27,000 residents.
To complement the treatment facilities, a number of wells have been drilled across the region.
A total of 12 treatment plants have been upgraded, supplying residents with better water quality. Three treatment facilities were also rehabilitated at Vergenoegen, Pouderoyen and Fellowship to improve service and water supply.
Baksh highlighted that the government negotiated a loan for the construction of a surface water treatment plant at Diamond along the East Bank corridor. Works on this plant will begin this year, serving thousands of residents along that corridor when completed.
Despite challenges, Baksh said GWI is working assiduously to achieve its water mandate to provide an enhanced level of water quality and service at the household level.
He further disclosed that the treatment facility at Bartica in Region Seven is already 90 per cent complete. It is earmarked to be commissioned in September.
The CEO announced that two new treatment plants will be constructed in Leguan to address water quality concerns.
Over $65 billion has been invested in Guyana’s water sector since 2020, with some 98.3 per cent of Guyanese now having access to safe water.
To improve access to safe water for Guyanese everywhere, 153 wells have been drilled countrywide to date.
With all these investments, Baksh said the government is well on its way to achieving 90 per cent treated water access on the coast by the end of 2025. Treated water access currently stands at over 80 per cent along the coastline. (Department of Public Information)
