All water consumed locally must be produced locally – Pres. Ali

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Saturday announced a bold push to ensure that all bottled water consumed locally is produced in Guyana within the next year, as he outlined a transformative vision for the country’s water sector.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Five Miles Water Treatment Plant in Bartica, the head of state said Guyana, known as the “land of many waters,” must move decisively to optimise its freshwater wealth and reduce dependence on imported bottled water.

“You can’t be such a resource-rich country in fresh water and be importing bottled water,” President Ali stated. “The Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation must set aside a target of ensuring that all our water consumed locally is produced locally in the next 12 months,” he added.

The president explained that achieving this goal will require close collaboration with the private sector and a focus on economies of scale. Rather than having multiple entities duplicating investments, he suggested standardising production systems, such as shared plastic bottle manufacturing, to reduce operational costs and increase competitiveness.

According to Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), locally treated and bottled water can be produced and sold for approximately $100 per bottle or less when operational costs are efficiently managed.

“We have to look at all the verticals so that we can bring down the cost of water,” he emphasised, adding that “a country known as the land of many waters must have the cheapest water available to its people and its visitors.”

Beyond bottled water, President Ali underscored that water must now be viewed as an economic commodity. Citing global studies that predict increasing water scarcity in the coming decades, he said Guyana must implement Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) principles to optimise its total water assets.

The head of state said the new ministry for water must go “beyond the norm,” focusing not just on access to treated water but also on creating value, diversifying the economy, and boosting national competitiveness.

“This is about building a diversified economy in a measurable way,” he said. “Clean water is empowerment. Clean water is nation-building in its purest form.”