Sections of Linden have been faced with serious water problems over the past weeks with no official explanation from Guyana Water Inc (GWI).
Richmond Hill, Fair’s Rust, Noitedgacht, Watooka, Wismar, Wisroc, Block 22, Blue Berry Hill and One Mile are the hardest hit areas. And while Burnham Drive, Christianburg and several other areas are receiving a regular supply there are complaints about the quality, which residents say is not fit for consumption.
According to residents, the situation has become unbearable and they are upset that the water authority in Linden has given no explanation. “We are being treated like earthworms,” one resident said. “This problem is going on for too long and nobody saying a word to us. Is a protest dem like? Sometimes deh water does come on very low and by the time you could full a bucket, it gan again.” Other residents had similar complaints.
Schools at Wisroc and Watooka are also suffering the effects. This news paper was reliably informed that cleaning the schools, including sanitary blocks, is a major challenge. Some cleaners said that they are made to fetch water to clean the facilities in order to prevent children from returning home before the scheduled time.
Residents at Half Mile and other areas are receiving a consistent water supply, but complained about its poor quality. One resident showed a container in which she stores water: approximately six inches from the bottom of the container there was a thick, rust-brown layer resembling corn meal porridge which was left after water drawn from a tap was left to settle.
At Amelia’s Ward, water is being rationed on an every other-day basis. “Although we are being rationed we are not getting a full day or even a half day supply,” a resident said. They claimed that this has been occurring a very long time.
Efforts to contact GWI’s head office proved futile and the Linden office said that it needed from permission from headquarters before speaking to the media.
But Stabroek News has learnt that shafts for the water pump at the Mackenzie Water Treatment Plant were extensively damaged. The utility company expected repairs and reinstallation to be completed by today to improve the situation. The submersible pump at the Wisroc water treatment plant also has to be replaced due to extensive damages and work will begin after completion of the works at Mackenzie.
The explanation given for the situation at Amelia’s Ward was the limited quantity of water being produced to service the community. It was reported that the company is looking at acquiring additional pumps to boost supply to the area. GWI once attempted to supply the entire community on a twenty-four hour basis. “This failed because what happened was that some homes were benefitting while others were left without completely,” an official explained.
It was residents who agreed to return to a rationing system, which has been in place for some time.
In a recent NCN programme, GWI officials indicated that they were currently upgrading the water system in sections of Amelia’s Ward. Additionally, residents whose service was interrupted during the upgrade would have to honour all outstanding bills before service is returned to their homes. But no explanation was given for the poor service to the rest of Linden.
