Govt injects $496.3M to establish first State-owned water bottling plant

The National Assembly has approved $496.3 million to advance the GWI’s coastal water supply services by investing in a new water bottling plant to meet national needs, in keeping with a commitment of President Dr. Irfaan Ali.

This facility aims to reduce reliance on imported bottled water, positioning itself as a strategic national project that enhances Guyana’s economic resilience, self-sufficiency, and long-term water security.

Although Guyana has abundant freshwater resources and GWI’s extensive treatment and distribution infrastructure, the country still depends heavily on imported bottled water to meet consumer demand.

As such, a key benefit of establishing a GWI-operated bottling plant is the potential to lower retail prices for bottled water for Guyanese consumers.

Further, local production allows GWI to eliminate costs associated with international freight, marine insurance, import handling fees, and distributor markups.

Ultimately, this initiative will support universal access to safe drinking water and advance GWI’s mission to provide safe, reliable, and accessible potable water to all people of Guyana.