[www.inewsguyana.com] – The release of water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) into the northern relief channel of the Hope-Dochfour outfall continued on Sunday, June 14 with successful results, Head of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth said.
The operation of releasing water from the EDWC began on Saturday with the northern relief channel of the Hope Canal being tested for the first time.
He said that water is currently being released into the Atlantic Ocean through the eight-door sluice which is one of the components of the Hope Canal project. This has resulted in the level of the water at the EDWC dropping.
The NDIA head added that over the past 24 hours there have been record rainfall in three locations. This saw a total of 15 millimeters of rainfall being recorded.
Wordsworth further pointed out that the water level has been increased from 56 GD in the northern relief channel, to 56.5 GD. From this channel the water is then discharged via the eight-door sluice into the Atlantic Ocean.
Meanwhile, the EDWC Conservancy level which was 58.25 GD at Flagstaff 24 hours ago has slightly dropped to 58.20. The height of the Conservancy Dam is 59 GD.
He also noted that while operations are continuing, water is only being discharged during the day. Water is also being discharged from the EDWC through the Kofi, Cunha and Land of Canaan outfalls into the Demerara River.
The entire operation became necessary to safeguard the structural integrity of the conservancy’s earthen embankments due to the high water level within.
