Water supply and sanitation in Guyana
| Data | |
|---|---|
| Water coverage (broad definition) | 83% |
| Sanitation coverage (broad definition) | 70% |
| Continuity of supply | Mostly intermittent |
| Average water use (L/person/day) | 243 |
| Average urban water and sanitation tariff (US$/m3) | 0.32 US$/m3 |
| Share of household metering | 24% |
| Institutions | |
| Decentralization to municipalities | No |
| National water and sanitation company | Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) |
| Water and sanitation regulator | Public Utilities Commission (PUC) |
| Responsibility for policy setting | Ministry of Housing and Water |
| Sector law | None |
| No. of urban service providers | 1 |
Guyana, meaning "land of many waters", is rich in water resources. Most of the population is concentrated in the coastal plain, much of which is below sea level and is protected by a series of sea walls. A series of shallow reservoirs inland of the coastal plain, called "water conservancies", store surface water primarily for irrigation needs. Key issues in the water and sanitation sector in Guyana are poor service quality, a low level of cost recovery and low levels of access.