The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) said contrary to a report published in yesterday’s Guyana Chronicle the current disruption in water supply in the city is not due to maintenance activities at the Shelter Belt but to a ruptured main.

In an effort to clarify issues raised in the article captioned “Shelter Belt problem will continue until further notice” published in the Chronicle yesterday, GWI said though it has started Phase II of the Georgetown Sewerage and Water Supply Systems Remedial Maintenance Projects to date, operations at the Shelter Belt Water Treatment Plant have been normal. In a press release it said this joint government/Inter-American Development Bank project included rehabilitation of the electrical system at the Shelter Belt in March and May and during those months customers would have experienced a four-hour intermittent disruption.

However, the current problem of reduced water pressure is attributed to a rupture in a water transmission main that has not been changed in 60 years. This main sources water from the Shelter Belt. On Saturday, GWI discovered a rupture in a section of the main near the Botanical Gardens and sought to administer emergency repairs. Technicians soon found that other sections of the main were severely damaged and it was forced to restrict distribution from that main and divert it to a main that served other areas. 

This diversion caused lower water pressure and in some instances, prolonged disruption for residents of Lodge, Wortmanville, North East La Penitence, East La Penitence, Middle Road, Albouystown and Stabroek. Since then, GWI has embarked on an emergency rehabilitation programme to rectify the problem. A private contractor was hired to replace sections of the damaged transmission main and work is set to start within two weeks.

In the interim, GWI said with assistance from the Civil Defence Commission it will be distributing water to residents in highly affected areas via CDC tanks.