A water shortage looms as levels in the conservancies are at an all-time low and citizens could face stricter water rationing with Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) already reducing water flow in the city during off-peak hours.
As the dry weather phenomenon, El Nino continues to exact a toll here and in the region, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon yesterday warned of “involuntary” reduction in water supply. Speaking at a post-cabinet media briefing at the Office of the President, he said that irrigation water availability is significantly threatened and it is the same situation for the surface water that provides as much as 50% of potable water consumption in Georgetown.
Water levels in the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) yesterday were lower than last month, with Flagstaff at 51.75 GD (Georgetown Datum) and Lama at 51.90 GD. This is below the lowest design safe level for irrigation, which is 53.50 GD (dead storage level). El Nino has been forecasted to last until March.
Luncheon said cabinet was informed that water storage in the conservancies is at an all-time low and interventions are being intensified to bring help to farmers and householders. The Ministry of Agriculture had previously announced that pumps in several regions had been activated to pump water into the conservancies and Luncheon said yesterday that this has been terminated as there was saltwater intrusion in inland waterways. However, there are still some areas where mechanical pumping and waterway diversion are being exploited at considerable cost, he stated.
Luncheon said cabinet opined that water use would have to be voluntarily reduced and were the situation to continue perhaps “involuntarily” reduced. “If you don’t have any water then whether you like it or not, you can’t use it. You can’t use what you don’t have,” he explained. He asserted that in other countries, the situation is more dire and rationing, controlled access and delivery of water, enforced by state agencies, are taking place. “We haven’t gotten to that stage but the projections are going to the end of the first quarter for the duration of El Nino phenomenon and looking at where we are today and its impact, I’m certain that the consideration of involuntary restriction and usage may very well come and be on the front burner among decision makers,” he said.
The Head of the Presidential Secretariat stated that cabinet would be pursuing public engagements on the impacts, particularly with stakeholders and communities where they live.
Meanwhile, GWI Public Relations Officer Timothy Austin, noting that earlier this month the utility had engaged the Board of the EDWC for assistance to pump water into the Lamaha canal, said that this was successful. The entity sources water through the canal to supply the city. However, he stressed the situation is still critical and persons must conserve. He stated that persons are still using water for unnecessary reasons.
He noted that during off-peak hours, when persons would be at work, GWI has reduced the flow of water though the pressure is restored during peak hours. He stressed that GWI only reaches out to the EDWC when the situation is dire and persons must conserve.
Earlier this month, the Agriculture Ministry had stated that government had spent in excess of $250 million since the phenomenon began and with reduced water levels, pumps in several regions were activated on a 20-hour basis costing $3.2 million daily. The ministry had said that in light of the prevailing El Nino weather conditions, it has provided financing to several regions for support in fulfilling farmers’ irrigation needs and significant sums of money are being spent to pump water into the East Demerara and Boerasirie conservancies and to operate irrigation pumps to maintain safe water levels to ensure the integrity of the dams. At the time, the ministry said, 23 pumps were put into operation on a 20-hour basis in Regions Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) costing approximately $3.2 million daily.
Last month, Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority Lionel Wordsworth had told this newspaper that El Nino had caused the water level in the EDWC to drop to a level below the lowest design safe level for irrigation. At the time, the average water level in the conservancy was 52.65 GD with the Lowest and Highest Design Safe Level for Irrigation being 53.50 GD (dead storage level) and 57.50 GD (full supply level) respectively. Whenever the water level gets below dead storage level, Wordsworth had explained, the flow of irrigation water by gravity becomes difficult.
