The Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 10 was on recently updated on the plans to improve the Linden water supply programme. Managing Director of GWI, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles and technical officials who engaged the RDC, explained the current status of the water production and distribution system in Linden and outlined the strategy that will be employed to resolve the issues at hand.
Dr. Van West-Charles updated the Council that GWI is aware that the existing Linden water supply programme is not performing at its optimum.
GWI officials meeting with the Chairman and Councillors of the Regional Democratic Council, Region 10.
Being frank in his discussion, Dr. Van West-Charles highlighted that there are many flaws in the existing water treatment plants, designed by HydeaSrl of Italy in 2011 and constructed by UEM Inc. of Trinidad and Tobago. Due to the flawed design, the plants cannot supply the amount of water required by the respective communities they were intended to serve. As a result, GWI was forced to undertake rehabilitation works on two of the existing plants.
During his presentation to Regional Chairman Mr. Renis Morian and his Councillors, Executive Director of Project Implementation and Partnership Building, Mr. Ramchand Jailal informed them that the contract signed in 2010 was intended to construct two new water treatment plants to serve the entire Linden community.
He explained that because of the underperformance of the newly constructed plants, the reserve plants are still being utilized due to high demand within the water distribution system. Mr. Jailal noted that the project was expected to provide an acceptable level of service at a minimum of five meters pressure at the end of the distribution network and optimize the Linden water system by reducing non-revenue water and strengthening the management and maintenance for the infrastructure.
Mr. Jailal further explained that the Italian consultants who worked on the project provided one design for the Amelia’s Ward and Wisroc Water Treatment Plants, although the two use two difference sources of water – underground and surface.
Presently, Linden requires 16,000 cubic meters of water per day and the Amelia’s Ward and Wisroc plants can only supply 10,000 cubic meters combined. “GWI is now forced to invest more money to refurbish the Mackenzie and West Watooka plants at a cost of around GYD $60M”, Mr. Jailal noted. Furthermore, another GYD$60M has been expended to rectify the filtration system, the transmission line and the layout of pipe lines that were designed by the Italian consultants.