More than 600 residents of Sawariwau Village, South Rupununi, are now benefitting from a newly constructed $35 million water distribution system, which will ensure that clean and reliable potable water is available for the community.
According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) press release, the new system, which was officially inaugurated in a small ceremony on Saturday, caters to 60% of the village’s population, inclusive of health and educational facilities. Prior to this, only 20% of the village had access to potable water from a hand-dug well.
The DPI said Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Susan Rodrigues, who attended the ceremony and officially inaugurated the system, in her address noted that the project was the fulfilment of a commitment made to the village following the discovery that a small percentage of villagers had immediate water access.
“We are always thinking of ways to improve our system and we always have your interest at heart… All across the country, you can see work being done in every single sector for the improvement of lives,” the DPI quoted her as saying.
It is understood that at the ceremony a $2 million contract was signed with the Village Council to extend the water service to households on the outskirts of the Wapichan village.
The DPI also noted that Sawariwau residents expressed their appreciation for the new system, recognising its positive impact on improving their standard of living.
It said that resident Joycelyn Wilson expressed her excitement at being able to experience the luxury of having water in her shower for the first time. “The water is very clean and the pressure is very strong. I am getting water to my shower. The pensioners are benefitting from it, especially my mom who is 90 years of age,” she was quoted as saying.
