Matthews Ridge water supply for $5.5M upgrade
The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) yesterday signed an agreement with the Matthews Ridge/Arakaka and Port Kaituma Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) for a $5.5 Million water supply improvement programme in Matthews Ridge, North West District.
GINA said that the agreement was signed between Managing Director of GWI Dr. Richard Van West-Charles and Chairperson of the Matthews Bridge Ridge/Arakaka and Port Kaituma NDC, Margaret Lambert in the community.
According to GINA, the agreement covers upgrading of the community’s water system by facilitating the rehabilitation of the water sources (two springs,) and the tapping into a third spring. It also covers remedial works to the community’s water supply reservoirs, and its distribution network.
Dr. Van West-Charles told the residents at the ceremony that interventions in the community are in line with the water company’s renewed commitment to ensure that villages across Guyana have access to potable water.
He added that currently in the sub-region, GWI is working with the Matthews Ridge/Arakaka and Port Kaituma NDC to share the cost of addressing leaks in the area.
The result should see a significant increase in terms of quantity of water supply in the communities by the end of August, in both the morning and evenings hours, he said.
The GWI Managing Director said that the water company is working with the region to install a kit at the hospital, where the water supplied by the newly rehabilitated Matthews Ridge water supply system can be monitored for microbes, and other characteristics on a weekly basis.
GINA said that he also called on the NDC and the Regional Democratic Council to help with identifying communities that do not have access to water.
Chairperson of the Matthews Ridge/Arakaka and Port Kaituma NDC, Lambert thanked the government for the intervention that would allow for clean water supply to the homes of the residents in the NDC. “We are thankful and grateful for this water upgrading in this NDC and we are pledging to working with GWI so as to bring even more water intervention to our communities,” Lambert said.
As per the agreement signed, GINA said that the funds for the water intervention in Matthews Ridge would be provided to the NDC, which would then engage residents to provide the works. As per the agreement, GWI would then provide materials for the works to be undertaken.