Contract signed for work on Diamond well – sources

The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has signed a contract with a local company to repair the Diamond well where a broken casing has caused woes for residents of the Diamond Housing Scheme and Kaneville on the East Bank of Demerara.

The pump station at Diamond experienced problems last week and had starting spurting clay.

GWI had then issued a statement about the situation and stated that tanker trucks would be going around to the two areas delivering water to residents. After the trouble continued throughout the week with the pump, GWI Chief Executive, Richard Van West-Charles had stated through a press release, that due to the technical difficulties that were being experienced with the well station, a meeting was set up with several experts. The purpose of the meeting was to determine the next step towards a solution.

The equipment at the well station yesterday.
The equipment at the well station yesterday.

Stabroek News was told by a source that the water company has since signed a contract with Nabi Construction Incorporated to repair the damage to the well.

In the meanwhile, residents have been left to seek water as they continue to claim that the measures that GWI has put into place are not “serving any constructive purpose.”

Because of the lack of water, GWI had implemented a schedule where water tankers would deliver supplies to Diamond and Kaneville. Diamond Housing Scheme was set to receive water during 9:00 hours – 20:00 hours from 21st Avenue to 1st Avenue and Kaneville from 17:00 hours – 20:00 hours – at ‘Middle Road’ Kaneville. However, residents have complained about the timing. They claimed that the tanker was starting too late as most of them would leave their homes before 7 AM and were not able to access the service that GWI was providing. Some of them even complained about not seeing the tankers.

Because of the residents’ constant complaining, GWI had promised to review the schedule and had stated that it had placed other measures in place to address the problem. Public Relations Officer of GWI Timothy Austin had told Stabroek News that the utility had increased the capacity of the nearby well stations.

However, residents said yesterday that there had been no change as they are still not receiving any water. “I am still not getting anything. I read in the papers that they power up the other wells but I ain’t getting anything,” one resident said, stating that he remains optimistic that GWI will be able to rectify the problem soon.

When Stabroek News visited the Diamond Well Station, workers from the GWI were seen in the yard with equipment.