President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Wednesday commissioned a new $850 million Water Treatment Plant at Parika that will deliver treated, 24-hour access to water for over 14,000 residents in Region Three.

The modern plant can process 4.5 million litres of water daily, enough for 18 million cups of tea from the tap.

Constructed by Toshiba Water Solutions America Inc., the plant serves residents in the following communities: Ruby, Bushy Park, Hydronie, Parika, Lookout, Salem, Hyde Park, Roed-en-Rust, Blake, Hubu, St Lawrence, and Lookabu.

Describing the plant as “another instalment of delivery”, President Ali emphasised that the investment reflects his government’s ongoing commitment to meet the needs of a rapidly developing region.

“Tens of thousands of you in Parika and surrounding communities now have access to treated water—something that speaks to dignity, to health, to a higher quality of life,” the President said.

The Parika plant is one of three new water treatment plants that have been commissioned in Region Three, the others being at Wales and La Parfaite Harmonie.

Construction of water treatment plants is also underway at Leguan and Vreed-en-Hoop. Meanwhile, the plants at Fellowship, Pouderoyen, and Vergenoegen are being upgraded to boost overall production capacity and reliability.

President Ali noted that these interventions are about household comfort and part of the broader vision of building a modern Guyana, one that is rapidly industrialising, urbanising, and striving for long-term water resilience.

As Region Three continues to grow in housing, agriculture, and commerce, the government is rolling out an Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) strategy.

This approach includes upgrading transmission systems, improving power reliability, and creating redundancy to prevent service disruptions.

“We are not where we need to be yet,” President Ali acknowledged. “Industrial, agricultural, and household needs are all being met from the same water source. That’s not sustainable. This strategy is about long-term vision, about fuelling economic development and ensuring every Guyanese home has access to quality water.”

To achieve these goals, President Ali emphasised the need to reorganise GWI to make it quicker and more responsive.

Also speaking at the event, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, reaffirmed the government’s intention to ensure every household in Region Three enjoys both treated water and a 24-hour supply.

The water is sourced from two new wells drilled in 2022 and 2025 by the GWI Well Services Team and C&H Engineering & Construction Inc.

Before treatment, the iron content in Region Three’s water supply averaged between six to 10 milligrams per litre (mg/L), far exceeding the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) safe limit of 0.3 mg/L. Thanks to the new facility, that figure has now dropped to less than 0.1 mg/L, with high-pressure delivery and 24-hour availability. (DPI)