Residents of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo will have water delivered to them in trucks after a problem developed with the well in the community while a new well is to be dug in the neighbouring village of Vergenoegen.

A press release from the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) said that this was agreed following a visit to the area yesterday by newly appointed Minister of Housing and Water, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and GWI and regional officials.

They had visited to take a first hand look at the Tuschen Well Station which recently encountered problems.

The release stated that it was agreed that the area will immediately begin receiving water via delivery trucks, with that effort being supported by staggered delivery to the area from Vergenoegen. This means residents in different areas will receive water at different periods of the day, the release said adding that in the medium term, a well will be drilled at Vergenoegen to enhance the supply of water in this area.

Chief Executive Officer of the water utility, Karan Singh was “keen” as it relates to the rehabilitation of the well at Tuschen but expressed little optimism as the well was over 50 years old. In the long term it was decided that the Regional Democratic Council and the Neighbourhood Democratic Council will immediately commence activities which will determine an appropriate area for the drilling of a new well to cater for the long term needs of the Tuschen community, the release asserted.

It noted that Ali during his visit took the opportunity to speak with residents of the affected area and made an impromptu stop in the Tuschen Housing Scheme “where the team unearthed many practices which were not in keeping with the Act and Regulations governing the water sector.”

According to the release, the minister spoke to the residents present about the standards that must be met by contractors who do work for GWI.  He said that they must ensure proper standards and all GWI regulations must be followed, pointing out customers have to be equally responsible as it relates to how they use the water system.

Further, he alluded to the fact that many residents at the end of the network are receiving a poor supply of water due to persons in the community using the water in a manner that the system was not designed for.  He emphasized that residents who are in the habit of pumping from the main will have to stop so that adequate pressure can reach the customers at the end of the system.

He declared that GWI and residents must work together to solve the problems in the area while encouraging residents “to be proactive in their conservation efforts as we all have to be aware of global warming and its impact on our water supply”, the release stated.