Hinterland water access reaches 91 per cent, coastland at 98 per cent

A child in the hinterland drinks water from a water system

Ninety-one percent of the hinterland and riverine population now has access to potable water, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar said.
Speaking on major developments, Indar noted progress through the construction and expansion of water treatment plants along the coastland and targeted investments in interior communities.

“Right now the proportion of the population with access to water is about 98.3 percent. That is a high figure, and we intend to make that 100 percent. We also have the riverine community, the hinterland, that is now 91 percent in terms of access to water. So we will continue to work to raise those numbers to make sure that everybody enjoys treated water, water that is potable,” Indar said.

Residents have benefited from seven large water treatment plants at Onderneeming, Wales, Parfaite Harmonie, Caledonia, Bachelor’s Adventure, and Cummings Lodge, with seven more plants under construction in areas including Maria’s Delight, Wakenaam, Leguan, Bath, Hope, Adventure, and Bartica. The Bartica facility, a three-million-litre-per-day plant, is expected to significantly improve water supply in Region Seven.

“In terms of the infrastructure investment, we have put in, in the last five years, some $65 billion into the water sector. And those are some of the capital expenditure that we have invested into strategic spots along the coastline to make sure that the water is treated and the amount of iron content is reduced, meeting the WHO (World Health Organization) standards. And we will continue to do that from 2026 to 2030, because the strategy is really to have everybody have potable water, treated water. In the hinterland, the story is no different,” Indar noted.

He said $5.5 billion was spent in the hinterland over the same period, resulting in 131 wells and raising access levels to 91 percent. In 2025 alone, 91 wells were drilled in interior communities.
The minister added that several surface water treatment plants are being advanced, including facilities at Diamond, Hope, Stewartville, and LBI, to maintain supply and pressure as new housing schemes and commercial developments come on stream.