Strategic Interventions for Sustainable Wastewater Management: A Case Study of Georgetown, Guyana

Authors: Shanomae Oneka Eastman

Country: Guyana

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Abstract: The lack of a thorough, integrated, and coordinated wastewater management system in Guyana is currently a pressing issue that must be addressed given the country's expanding urban population and environmental stresses. The Laing Canal and the mouth of the Demerara River receive "untreated" discharges from the outdated and insufficient Tucville sewage system and Central Georgetown sewage respectively. Operational shortcomings exacerbate these effects. Inappropriate fat oil and grease disposal from commercial facilities sometimes lead to sanitary overflows, sewer obstructions, contamination of surface and potentially drinking water sources. Untreated or improperly managed biosolids can enter delicate ecosystems due to a crucial gap in fecal sludge governance, which is reflected in the lack of environmentally sound management procedures for sludge collected from septic tanks. Collectively, these failures exacerbate environmental degradation, elevate public health risks, and undermine the sustainability of wastewater management systems.
Semi-structured interviews with pertinent Guyana Water Incorporated, Environmental Protection Agency, hotel and food establishment representatives, lecturer and independent waste disposal service personnels highlighted the problems with the centralized facilities and provided solutions for better wastewater management. Data were evaluated utilizing a framework analysis approach to enable a systematic and transparent interpretation.
The findings show that Guyana's wastewater management difficulties are systemic and multifaceted, resulting from a combination of infrastructure constraints, poor regulatory enforcement, inadequate maintenance practices, inadequate financial investment, and low public awareness. These interrelated shortcomings impede system performance and progress toward sustainable water management.
In response, the study suggests a holistic approach that focuses on coordinated efforts across governance, infrastructure, and behavioral domains. Priorities consist of strengthening regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms, investing in advanced treatment technologies, improving institutional capacity, raising public awareness and behavior change, and combining resource recovery and wastewater reuse techniques.
Overall, the study shows that attaining sustainable wastewater management in Guyana necessitates a shift from fragmented, reactive techniques to coordinated, system-based strategies that correspond with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.3. The findings establish a context-specific, evidence-based framework for policy development and give transferable perspectives for other underdeveloped and resource-constrained locations.

Keywords: Strategic Intervention, Sustainable, Wastewater Management

Paper Id: 233094

Published On: 2026-05-01

Published In: Volume 14, Issue 3, May-June 2026

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