$48M well being drilled at Diamond Water Treatment Plant

The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is currently drilling a well at the Diamond Water Treatment Plant with the aim of boosting the plant’s treatment capacity.

The well is being drilled at a cost of GYD$48M by Brazilian company, Foxx Trading and will have a depth of 750 feet. It is expected to produce at least 200 cubic meters of water per hour.

GWI’s Chief Executive Officer, Shaik Baksh and a team of technical personnel visited the well site on Thursday to assess the works being done.

The Diamond facility serves over 30,000 residents of Diamond Housing Scheme, Little Diamond, Prospect, Covent Garden, Farm and Kaneville. Currently, two wells provide the plant’s water supply and this allows the plant to produce 12 megalitres of water per day.

However, the plant has the capability of producing 15 megalitres per day and it is expected that with the drilling of an additional well, the plant will reach its full water treatment capacity.

Mr. Baksh explained that the well will not only increase the treatment capacity of the plant, but will also allow the company to extend the supply of treated water to more communities. He said that he is pleased with the work being done by Foxx trading and prospects of the additional well are favourable.
The CEO said that the aim is to improve the company’s treated water coverage over the next five years so that all customers on the Coast will benefit from access to treated water, GWI said in a statement.
According to him, the drilling of the additional well at the Diamond facility forms only a small part of the company’s plan for the East Bank Corridor. These plans, he said, will ensure not only an improved water supply, but will also cater for housing developments.
The latter is a coordinated effort between GWI and the Central Housing and Planning Authority. The CEO noted that housing areas from Eccles to Grove have already been mapped.
Plans are also underway to upgrade the Eccles, Covent Garden and Grove Water Treatment Plants to ensure that all the customers within the serving areas have access to treated water

Meanwhile, GWI’s Executive Director of Operations, Mr. Dwayne Shako said that the company is looking to extend the water supply from the Diamond facility to other areas such as Grove. He added that they are also working to increase the service level to ensure that customer have water at the first floor at minimum.

This will also be made possible due to ongoing works to reduce the significant water loss in the Diamond/Grove area. This water loss can be attributed to leakages as well as illegal connections.

The Director related that following the drilling of the well at Diamond, wells will also be drilled at Farm and Providence to cater for increased occupancy as a result of Government’s massive housing drive.
According to him, the company is looking to ensure that customers from Eccles to Grove have access to 24 hours treated water.