Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues has boasted that 98.3% of Guyana’s population now has access to potable water, even as there are regular complaints of the low water pressure in many communities and discoloured water coming through taps.

At a recent press conference, the Minister said the Housing and Water Ministry is well on its way to providing 90% of the persons living on the coast with treated water. She explained that through the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), the Ministry has been focusing heavily on unserved communities that do not have access to a reliable source of potable water. 

“More than 4,350 households benefited from first time access in the year 2023. In 2024, some 2,800 residents benefited for the first time, from first time access to potable water supply under the unserved areas programme,” Minister Rodrigues explained. 

She said the Government has been continuously expanding its water network to meet the needs of citizens, including those in new and developing communities. 

Minister Rodrigues said the Housing and Water Ministry under its Coastal Water Treatment Programme 2020-2025, has also increased access to treated water. 

“We are on track to ensuring that we achieve 90% treated water coverage on the coastland by the end of 2025. In 2020, when we did the assessment of the total population that was receiving treated water, it was 52%, and so, a strategic plan was developed to ensure that we increase treated water coverage from 52% to 90%, and we are on track to ensuring that, that is delivered by the end of 2025,” Minister Rodrigues said. 

It was explained that the Coastal Water Treatment Programme has a total of four components, and includes the construction of seven large water treatment plants, upgrades to 12 existing water treatment plants, and installation of 200 km of new transmission mains. 

All seven of the water treatment plants are under construction and are expected to be completed within months, together with the upgraded plants. 

A total of 139,872 Guyanese are expected to benefit under the Coastal Water Treatment Programme. 

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