“The Water Sector is in crisis in Guyana. The Guyana Water Inc. is again being poorly managed and operated with the return of Shaik Baksh and the PPP/C’s policy of hiring friends and family. The APNU+AFC had improved the quality and delivery of water.” So said the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).
According to the Opposition the national water system is at its poorest ever, with the quality and level of service in almost every part of Guyana is far below that of the stipulated World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.
“On Social Media, we find Guyanese crying out for lack of quality water and in many instances none or poor level of water supply, to top that off Guyanese have to bear the harsh measures taken by GWI’s top management to reduce the pumping hours of water in many communities simply to prove the point of having a reduced production cost index while many customers are suffering.”
Drawing a comparison, the APNU+AFC when they were in government water supply was improved to 24-hours across the country, while under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) water supply is now rationed by peak hours leaving some communities receiving as low as 9 hours of water supply.
The Opposition pointed out that the current level of service in the communities of Trafalgar, Onverwagt, Lovely Lass, Hopetown to Onderneeming Referendum City, and Experiment Bath Settlement,Cotton Tree, D’Edward, No. 5, and No.4 are all receiving water at a level of 2 – 3.99 meters which is on a grade scale of just over inadequate (PS4 1-2.00 meters).
“While the ordinary man might not understand the sudden drop in water pressure and height it once used to be supplied at they definitely feel the effects of it for example under the APNU+AFC water level in the communities of Trafalgar, Onverwagt, Lovely Lass, Hopetown to Onderneeming Referendum City, and Experiment Bath Settlement was at PS2 4- 4.99 meters and PS 1 above 5 meters being rated as ‘Good and Excellent’.”
Going further, the Opposition pointed out that in many other communities, the same is obtained and even worse:
- In Region # 2 Suddie, Marias Lodge, Charity, Evergreen, and Dartmouth all receive low water service of just over inadequate.
- In Region #3 La Parfaite Harmonie, Westminister, Onderneeming, Lust to Rust, and Schoonord all receive inadequate water supply ranging from 1 – 2.00 meters.
- In Region #4 Parts of Cemetry Rd Timehri, Kurukururu Newton, Martyrs Ville, and Mon Repos Housing Scheme, B & C Field Sophia all receive poor and inadequate water supply within 0- 2.00 meters of water.
- Several parts of Amelia’s Ward in Region #10 also receive inadequate water supply.
Noting that “while all this speaks to the poor delivery of water to our citizens, GWI continues to fail to carry out its monthly and quarterly Planned Preventative Maintenance Exercise (PPM) at its Well Stations and Water Treatment Plants, which was a mandate under the Coalition government and management of GWI. This failure has since caused millions in losses across the country and even a present situation where a pump and motor got damaged and stuck in a Well casing at the Rosignol Well Station in Region #5.
“That well has been out of operation for several months now and any media house is free to take their cameras and verify that position. The poor PPM management coupled with the shortage of materials within the company resulted in the well being put out of operation.
“The Guyana Water Inc. after firing scores of management, technical, and non-technical staff in May and June of 2021, now suffers a drain in the said field especially the lack of Craftsmen and field staff in several Regions within the company.”
The Opposition pointed that over the past years, GWI has suffered great shortages in chemicals and adequate treatment in ground and surface water, especially in Region #10 where quite recently we saw the Vice Chairman of Region #10 taking to social media to vent his disgust at the discolored water being supplied to the residents of Region #10.
“Like Region #10, many customers in Georgetown also receive treated surface water from the Shelter Belt water treatment facility of which we all can attest to the many outcries of poor quality of water. All of this is said to be coupled with a now-defunct flushing exercise within the company which aids in the removal of red water and built of iron from the distribution network. Several sections of management have complained that flushing is no longer a regular exercise since there is hardly ever a fully maintained flow of water in the distribution network especially along the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara, Georgetown, and Region #2.”
The crisis, the Opposition said, has worsened with Senior Management being vocal about the CEO returning with his same attitude of not wanting to approve and buy new parts and spares for operations and maintenance, which they said was his trend pre-2015.
The human resources woes of the Guyana Water Inc from 2020 to 2022 follows:
- 184 staff were dismissed or terminated.
- 210 Resigned.
- At the end of 2022, the total number of employees being removed from the company’s enrollment outside of death or retirement stands at 475 employees.
In the year 2021 downtime.
Region #2 – 201 downtime days, with 4831 downtime hours.
Region #3 – 367 downtime days, with 8797 downtime hours.
Region #4 EBD – 328 downtime days, with 7874 downtime hours.
Region #4 ECD – 196 downtime days, with 4697 downtime hours.
Region #4 GT – 235 downtime days, with 5636 downtime hours.
Region # 5 – 149 downtime days, with 3567 downtime hours.
Region #6 – 773 downtime days, with 18,552 downtime hours.
Water Treatment Plants operating under 24 hours.
Region #4 Central Ruimvelt and Sophia – 9 hours daily
Region #6 Port Mourant – 8 hours daily
Region #3 Vergenoegon – 12 hours daily
Region # 10 LPC – 16 hours daily
Region #6 New Amsterdam – 15 hours daily
