Northern Relief Channel no longer discharging water

Jun 29, 2015 News

– EDWC level normalises

Following the successful testing of the Northern Relief Channel of the Hope -Dochfour outlet, discharge of water has been discontinued, since the level of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) has returned to normalcy.
According to Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth, the release of the water started at 56 Georgetown Datum (GD) level and went as far as 56.75 GD through the Northern Relief Channel.
He told the Government Information Agency (GINA) on Saturday, that “The test was successful, in that we were able to bring the conservancy level down to a manageable one, just around the full supply level of 57.5 GD and there hasn’t been any problem with the channel itself.”

The eight door sluice at the mouth of the Northern Relief Channel

Previously, water was discharged from the EDWC through the Maduni and Lama sluices into the Mahaica River.
On June 13, the $3.6B Hope Canal project was tested in the wake of excessive rainfall that resulted in the level of the EDWC rising to 58.25 GD.
Water drained from the EDWC into the 10.3-kilometre Northern Relief Channel was discharged into the Atlantic Ocean via the channel’s eight-door sluice.
The operation became necessary to preserve the structural integrity of the conservancy’s earthen embankments due to the high water level within.
Meanwhile, Wordsworth noted that there are still flood conditions in the upper reaches of Mahaicony and Mahaica, mainly in the farm lands. However, he said that over the past few days, the situation has improved.
Wordsworth further noted that the ministry has deployed excavators to assist with empoldering works to some affected farmers.