GWI continues to pour millions down recurring city leaks near Bank of Guyana

Last Updated on Friday, 3 April 2026, 22:39 by Writer

Despite promises by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to replace the more than 100-year old pipes on Church Street, that state-owned company continues to spend millions of dollars annually on recurring leaks in the vicinity of the National Library, Bank of Guyana and Guyana Stores.

Public utilities minister Deodat Indar gave his oft-repeated explanation, before he became the subject minister, of the need to put in place special arrangements for vehicular traffic . “We have to schedule to work as there would be a major disruption of traffic,” he told Demerara Waves Online News on March 21.

The latest leak is worsening.

Mr Indar could not say whether there was a timeframe within which the works would begin.

In July, 2025 GWI Chief Executive Officer Shaik Baksh had assured that the mains would have been replaced before the end of that year.

On that occasion, he had also cited the need to ensure minimal disruption to traffic. “Because of the heavy traffic flow, we don’t want to disrupt traffic along that whole area so have to do phase by phase,” he had said.

[simpay id=”85861″]However, from all accounts, the GWI has been engaging in patchwork jobs since then.

There were about 12 or more burst mains in that area last year and about four for this year.

In 2025, sources had said that excavation works, pipe repairs and repairs to the road cost the GWI more than GY$1 million per leak.

One source said if the public works ministry is unavailable to repair the road, the GWI has to hire a private contractor to make the road passable.

The sources had also said that the GWI loses revenue each time there is a breakage and repairs have to be carried out.

That, according to the source, is because the water pressure has to be turned off or reduced, resulting in the inability of residents’ water tanks to be refilled overnight.

Meanwhile, a section of the pedestrian pavement just outside the National Library has been destroyed as a result of the leaks combined with the movement of vehicles to repair pipes as well as other vehicles traversing that broken walkway.