GEORGETOWN, Guyana — For the first time, families in Cummings Lodge can turn on their taps and safely drink the water that flows out — a milestone made possible by a new GYD $1.3 billion water treatment plant commissioned on Saturday by President Irfaan Ali.
The state-of-the-art facility, constructed by Sigma Engineers Ltd. with a predominantly Guyanese workforce, is designed to process up to 12 million litres of water per day and store 3.6 million litres. The plant produces water with iron levels as low as 0.06 milligrams per litre — far below the World Health Organisation’s safety threshold of 0.3 mg/L.
The new system will serve more than 10,000 residents across Cummings Lodge and surrounding communities, including Cummings Park, North and South Ruimveldt, Lamaha Springs, Festival City, Tucville, Stevedore and areas along the Heroes Highway.
President Ali said the facility represents a broader transformation in the country’s water sector, one that goes beyond infrastructure. “Water is not just a utility, it is life itself,” he said. “It keeps our families healthy, supports agriculture, and drives industry.”
The president noted that while rainwater is free, providing safe tap water requires major investment. Over the past five years, the government has injected more than $51 billion into the sector — equal to about $69,000 per citizen. As a result, access to treated water along the coast has climbed to 98.4 percent, among the highest in the Caribbean. Hinterland and riverine access has nearly doubled to 92 percent and is projected to reach 96 percent next year.
“By the end of next year, we will be much closer to our goal of 100 percent treated water coverage along the coast,” Ali said, adding that every home, school, hospital and business is expected to benefit.
He also urged residents to use water wisely. “Every time a tap is left running or a leak is ignored, that’s money flowing down the drain.”
The Cummings Lodge plant is part of the $40 billion Coastal Water Treatment Infrastructure Programme (CWTIP), which aims to expand treated water coverage to 90 percent by 2025. Under the programme, seven large treatment plants and 15 smaller ones are being constructed, while 12 existing facilities are being upgraded. Some 200 kilometers of transmission mains are being installed to improve water quality and reliability across Regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
In Region 4, three new treatment facilities have already been built — at Cummings Lodge, Bachelor’s Adventure and Caledonia. At Cummings Lodge, two additional wells are being drilled to supply raw water to the treatment system, and GYD $600 million in contracts have been awarded to install 13.5 kilometers of new transmission mains.
President Ali thanked the engineers, workers and the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) team for their role in modernizing the sector. “This is about dignity, health and development,” he said. “Clean water is the foundation of a modern nation.”