Key issues in the water and sanitation sector in Guyana are poor service quality, a low level of cost recovery and low levels of access. A high-profile management contract with the British company Severn Trent has been cancelled by the government in February 2007.

In 2008 the public utility Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) was in the process of implementing a Turnaround Plan to reduce non-revenue water and to financially consolidate the utility.

Access

Despite increases in coverage, only about 53% of Guyana’s population has access to house connections for water supply, and only 13% has access to sewerage, according to the survey data.

Access using a broader definition is higher (83% for water — including rainwater harvesting — and 70% for sanitation), but still insufficient.

Service quality

Service quality for customers connected to the public system is poor, including low water pressure in most service areas, intermittent supply in all service areas, and a high risk of bacterial contamination due to the fact that about half of the public supplies receive no disinfection.

Throughout the coastal area of the country the aquifer that supplies most of the drinking water has a high level of iron, making the water red. Iron removal plants are being built to remedy the problem.

Water Resources

Guyana, meaning “land of many waters”, is rich in water resources. Most of the population is concentrated in the coastal plain, much of which is below sea level and is protected by a series of sea walls.

A series of shallow reservoirs inland of the coastal plain, called “water conservancies”, store surface water primarily for irrigation needs.

Groundwater, which consists of three distinct aquifers, provides about 90% of the domestic water needs of the country. The groundwater system comprises three aquifers:

• The “upper” sand is the shallowest of the three aquifers and its depth varies from 30 to 60 m, with thickness ranging from 15 to 120 m. It is not used as a source of water because of its high iron content (>5 mg/l) and salinity (up to 1,200 mg/l).
• The “A” sand is typically encountered between 200 and 300 m below the surface with thickness ranging from 15 to 60 m. Water from the “A” aquifer requires treatment for the removal of iron.
• The “B” sand is found at about 300 to 400 m with thickness of between 350 and 800 m. Water from this aquifer has very little iron, a high temperature and a trace of hydrogen sulphide which can be treated with aeration.

From about 1913 to 1993, the head in the “A sand” aquifer has declined by 20 meters. According to a 1998 study by the US Army Corps of Engineers, long-term studies are needed to determine the capability of the aquifer to sustain increased withdrawals.

Hydrological data are lacking throughout the country, particularly since the late 1960s when data collection decreased dramatically.

Responsibility for Water and Sanitation

Responsibility for sector policy is vested in the Ministry of Housing and Water. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC), a multi-sectoral regulatory body, is in charge of reviewing water and sewer tariffs. However, the PUC seems to be less autonomous from government than other utility regulators in the Caribbean. Local government plays no role in the sector.

Water and sewerage service provision is the responsibility of Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), a commercial public enterprise. GWI’s service area is divided into five divisions along the Coast, numbered 1-5 from West to East.

The Hinteland is served by a separate unit within GWI which provides support to community-based organizations that provide services in that part of the country.

Financial Aspects

The national water utility uses a highly complex tariff system. It does not recover operation and maintenance costs, and receives operational subsidies from the government.

Investments are financed through external assistance and investment subsidies from the government.

External Cooperation

Currently the main external partners for the sector are the Inter-American Development Bank, DFID from the UK and the World Bank. The European Union, the Caribbean Development Bank and the government of Japan through JICA.

In the past USAID was also involved in supporting water supply in Guyana, particularly in the coastal area outside of Georgetown.