GUYANA Water Incorporated (GWI), the Nation’s supplier of Water and Sanitation Services wishes to respond to an article in the Kaieteur News published on Tuesday, June 29, 2010, titled “Reptile flows through Berbice tap”.
Following the report, GWI’s Divisional Operations Manager, Berbice, Jawaharlall Ramjug launched an investigation which encompassed gathering facts from the customer who provided the comments for the article. GWI teams conducted a thorough search of the Nurseville area in which the customer resides in an attempt to identify breakages or leaks within the distribution system. According to GWI’s Divisional Engineer, Berbice, Keine Read, “after a complete search of the immediate environs, no breakages or leaks were identified.”
Further, the GWI team had a discussion with the customer who indicated that she had not witnessed the snake emerging from the pipe. She stated that her first encounter with the creature occurred when she noticed the reptile in a bucket.  She indicated to Read that she could not produce evidence that the snake had entered the bucket by way of the pipe.
According to the article the customer indicated that “other things” would have emerged from her pipe in the past. However, when asked about this, the customer could not provide any evidence of the incidents of creatures or substances emerging from her pipe.
In addition, GWI’s Divisional Operations Manager indicated that GWI’s Berbice office received no complaints regarding water quality from the community in which the customer resides. Mr. Ramjug indicated that the community is served by the New Amsterdam Water Treatment Plant and any issues regarding quality would occur as a result of a breakage or leak in the distribution system.  No evidence of a breakage was discovered in the Nurseville community.  Hence, the customer’s claim that the creature emerged from the pipe cannot be substantiated. According to Scientific Services Manager, GWI, Savitri Jetoo, recent tests conducted on the water produced by the New Amsterdam Water Treatment Plant revealed that it met all World Health Organization Standards (WHO).  Jetoo also stated that since this water is sourced from a well and further treated in the plant, it is of consistently high quality.
GWI wishes to state that it is imperative that customers utilize established means of communication with the Company when reporting issues regarding water quality.  GWI’s Customer Services Call Centre is available from Monday to Friday, from 07:00hrs to 17:00hrs.  A voicemail service is available after business hours.  The company treats such complaints with the utmost priority and seeks the partnership of all customers in reporting water quality issues to it without delay.