Construction of the $56M Diamond/Grove well at Sixth Street, Diamond, East Bank Demerara is expected to be completed by mid-September and this would be complemented by two more wells that are slated for completion before year end.

Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali and officials from his ministry on Friday visited the construction site to examine the progress of the well  and he later expressed satisfaction at the pace of the project, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said in a news release.

According to Ali, despite some delays with the contractor regarding the shipping of materials, tremendous work had been done over the past few days.

Work is expected to be completed by September 10 but the minister noted that the contractor had requested an extension and this is currently being assessed by his ministry, the release said.

The Housing and Water Minister said that the construction of the Diamond well is part of the consolidation plan of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) and on completion contractors will be mobilized immediately for the construction of the well at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

The construction of the wells at Lusignan and Diamond/Grove will cost approximately $51M and $56M respectively and will benefit 2,000 people from Lusignan while approximately 8,000 will benefit from Grove/Diamond, the release noted. The projects are being undertaken by a Trinidad-based contractor, Water and Oil Wells Services, and are supervised by CEMCO.

It is expected that on completion of the projects, residents of the Diamond/Grove and Lusignan areas will enjoy adequate water pressure. The project will also incorporate submersible pumps with electrical control panels, a pump house and fencing.

Meanwhile, other wells are being constructed across the country to improve water supply, including at Onderneeming, Region Two; Belle Vue, Region Three; and De Hoop, Region Five, Ali said. In one week’s time, the release added, the Housing and Water Ministry expects to advertise for a new bore hole at Cornelia Idea, Region Three.

Three other wells for the Cummings Lodge, Manchester and Enmore areas are being designed by consultants and will come on stream shortly.