Water supply and sanitation in Guyana

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Contents 1 Key issues 2 Institutions and policy 3 Sources 4 References

[edit] Key issues

		Urban (38% of the population)	Rural (62% of the population)	Total
Water	Broad definition	83%	83%	83%
	House connections	66%	45%	53%
Sanitation	Broad definition	86%	60%	70%
	Sewerage	33%	0%	13%

WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (2004)

Key issues in the water and sanitation sector in Guyana area very low coverage and poor service quality.

Despite significant recent 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. Access using a broader definition is higher (83% for water and 70% for sanitation), but still insufficient. ^[1] Coverage is lowest along the coastal strip outside the capital and particularly in the Hinterland.

Service quality is poor, including low water pressure, intermittent supply and a high risk of bacterial contamination due to limited water treatment. At the end of 2004, users received water only 4.3 hours per day on average. Non-revenue water was estimated at a 50% of production, and only 24% of consumers were metered.

The national water utility does not recover operation and maintenance costs, and receives operational subsidies from the government.

[edit] Institutions and policy

Water and sewerage service provision in Guyana is the responsibility of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), a commercial public enterprise. GWI currently has a performance-based management contract with an international operator, Severn Trent Water International (STWI). The contract is fully funded through a grant from the British government.^[2] 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.^[3] Local government plays no role in the sector. Communal organizations provide small-scale water services, mainly in the Hinterland.

In 2000, with the assistance of the donor community led by the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID), and the World Bank, the Government of Guyana embarked on a reorganization of the water sector with the goal of increasing access to safe and affordable water. Specifically it aimed to achieve: (i) a modern, efficient, and customer-oriented utility; (ii) long-term financial sustainability; and (iii) an institutional framework characterized by independent regulatory functions and a clear division of responsibilities.

There has been notable progress on institutional reforms under the Water and Sewerage Act of 2002 and related legislation. Achievements include (i) the merger of the two former water utilities, Georgetown Sewerage and Water Commissioners (GS&WC) and the Guyana Water Authority (GUYWA) to form GWI in May 2002; (ii) the award of a performance-based management contract in January 2003 as mentioned above; and (iii) giving a mandate to the PUC to review water tariffs. In addition, a ten year investment program was elaborated and drinking water standards were established. The objective of establishing a modern, efficient and financial sustainable utility, however, still remains to be achieved.

[edit] Sources

• Organización Mundial de Salud (OMS): Evaluación de los Servicios de Agua Potable y Saneamiento 2000 en las Américas Guyana
• Guyana Water Inc.
• The World Bank's Water Sector Consolidation Project [2]

[edit] References

1. ^ WHO/UNICEF JMP water and sanitation
2. ^ Guyana Water Inc.
3. ^ Montserrat Utilities Ltd. [1]