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Water

Resources

The freshwater resources can be divided into: Natural freshwater resources, including rivers,

creeks, swamps and marsh covering 12,000 square km, discharging 4,975 cubic meters per second into the Atlantic Ocean

Manmade Brokopondo Lake, a hydropower facility, covering 1,560 square km.

The main source of public water supply: Coastal Zone; Groundwater Hinterland; Groundwater and a minor portion use

surface water (the extend of groundwater in the hinterland is not known)

Mineral Water in Suriname is extracted from the following aquifers: The “A-Sands” Aquifer (for Capital City) and Zanderij aquifer Coesewijne Aquifer

Water is supply by:

Suriname Water Company (SWM); this company is since 1933 responsible for the water distribution is coastal areas (state own)

Department of Water Supply Services of the Ministry of Natural Resources

The ministry of Regional Development

Current information available on water: Water consumption Production Number of connection Imports/ exports of bottle-water

Water legislation

Suriname has no general law on water. The only important legislation is the Nature Protection law of 1954

System of Environmental-Economic Accounting: Suriname has no experience with the SEEA There are no plans right now for an Environmental-Economic

Accounting

Programs and Projects on water

Interwat; the Institutional Development project aims at strengthening the organization and structure of the Suriname Water Company in order to render it more self-sufficient.

The Strategic Plan, which aims at improving 15 systems in the rural area and 27 "Water Supply systems" in the hinterland during the period of 1994 to 2015.

The Mid Term Plan for the coastal area is a plan of action aiming at integrating the activities included in the Strategic Plan, the Five Year Plan and the Institutional Development project. The is to transfer the rural systems to SWM (up to 2010).

Policies and Strategies

Full autonomy of the Suriname Water Company; community-based water supply management approach; and legal statement of recognition for the village water committees.

Sanitation must be given national priority; a Drainage Authority for capital city is recommended; ultimately Suriname should organize under at a National Water Authority.

Inter-institutional collaboration and inter-sector coordination/cooperation; private participation in the sector and development of Human Resources for the sector.

Water saving and protection; norms for planning, design and construction of water supply systems; water protection against bacterial contamination; and water quality monitoring.

Technical and institutional measures should be taken on behalf of sanitation; the Master Plan for Greater Paramaribo should be executed and the waste from the airport must be treated

Special focus is on the following

Replacement and rehabilitation of production- and distribution facilities

A large degree of community participation Continuous health and environmental education

programs should be undertaken The Ministry of Health and Environment

Authority should provide leadership in ensuring that appropriate water quality is achieved

2002 2003 2004

16,145,271 15,899,586 16,452,753

Water consumption SWM Service Area (in cubic meters), 2002-2004

2002 2003 2004

28,664,983 31,594,071 33,267,600

Water Production Operated by SWM (in cubic meters)

Number of connection

Kind of connection 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Yard Connection 3,057 2,868 2,851 2,823 2,737 3,074

House Connection 48,904 49,318

50,016

50,454

51,567 53,679

House with Swimming pool

48 50 57 59 68 69

Industrial & Commercial Connection

4,611 4,748 4,995 4,997 5,593 5,816

Institution 1,018 1,017 1,030 1,043 1,053 1,069

Total 57,638 58,001

58,949

59,376

61,018 63,707

SWOT Analysis of the Water sector in SurinameThis SWOT Analysis is to divided into: Economic part Social/ Cultural Environmental Institutional organization

Economic

Strengths Excellent quality water (low

chloride contents) Large per capita resource in

aquifers Close technical cooperation

with similar industries in the Netherlands

Weaknesses Insufficient funds for expansion

of drinking water network No split of sewerage and

drinking water supply and use Slow salination beaches

consumption is higher than rate of replenishment by aquifer

Inadequate legislation (Drilling Act. Of 1952 still applies)

Mining Rights areas not yet renewed despite timely application

Economic

Opportunities Export of bottle water Establishment of Water

Authority Establishment of

groundwater protection zones

Replacement of old stations, establishment of larger pumping stations

Threats Depletion of resources for

Greater Paramaribo (A Sands)

Depletion of shells for filtration

Social/ Cultural

Strengths 90% of population linked to

drinking water company; 10% in very sparsely populated areas

Low population density and growth

Relatively high literacy and environmental awareness

Weaknesses Potable water not

available everywhere Wastage due to inefficient

use, and no reporting of leakage

Social/ Cultural

Opportunities Raise awareness to reduce

waste and inefficient use of mineral water

Threats None

Environmental

Strengths No contamination by industrial

or agricultural activities Low possibility of well

Contamination (artesian well and aquifer contamination

Weaknesses Too many potentially

contamination activities in Savanna Zone; e.g. sand excavation, waste dumping

Environmental

Opportunities Legislation to prevent

contamination of Savanna Zone

Threats Contamination of

catchments area of Zanderij aquifer (Savanna Zone)

Institutional organization

Strengths None

Weaknesses Outdated and inadequate

legal instruments/ framework

The GMD (Geological Mining Department) needs institutional strengthening

Institutional organization

Opportunities Establishment of the Water

Authority, if necessary, imbedded in the Minerals Institute

Threats Budget constraints to fund

vital public institutions Continued weakness of

institutional and legal framework