THE Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) has commenced a programme to improve the water service provided to its customers in  Bartica.

The enhancement programme began  in June 2013, and  entails the construction of a 500 cubic metre storage tank valued in excess of $50M, the upgrade of service connections and installation of water meters which are valued in excess of $30M.
According to GWI Project Manager, David Merell, the storage facility will have the capacity to store larger quantities of water and thereby  improve the level of service provided to customers.  It is expected that upon completion of the improvement programme, customers of Bartica will benefit from extended hours of water service due to the larger storage facility.
In addition, GWI said it will upgrade water service connections across Bartica which will result in further improvements in the level of service and quality of water provided to customers.

WATER SHORTAGE
This welcomed announcement by GWI yesterday came in the wake of a water crisis in Bartica, as civilians lashed out at GWI in the face of a  water scarcity affecting hundreds of residents over the last two months. Some of them remain fearful  that the situation will worsen  in the dry season.
Among residents expressing  frustration over  their water woes were housewives, who said  that the water crisis in Bartica was so stifling that they would receive no water, sometimes for months, and their only hope of survival was the rainfall.
“I thank God for the rain…we depend pon the rain,” Marla Doobay said, adding that sometimes her family and herself would go for months without water supply from GWI. “Almost everyday I would  leff on my tank and when I wake in the morning it does still be empty.”
Doobay has three children who  attend school and she complained that it is difficult for her to get water to cook, wash and drink. “Sometimes the water does come good but other times it does come brown, brown and it’s not clean,” she reiterated again and again.
“We have to know how to use it; manage the little that we get,” another resident said, stating that they had made scores of complaints to the water company but had received no satisfaction.
According to residents of Four Miles Housing Scheme, Bartica, they have been experiencing a water shortage since January and would sometimes be forced to depend on the rainfall because there would be no water in the pipelines for three months.
“When the water come it would come slow. Not very often we get water here in Four Miles. My family has tenants and we are responsible to give them water. I depend on the rain to get water. We can’t put our trust in GWI,” Raymond Murray said, explaining that whenever they get water through the pipelines it would be dirty with dark brown sediment floating on the  surface.
He said further that when the dry season comes,  parents would have to buy water to wash their children’s school clothes.
According to him residents are alarmed by the high water bills that they  receive every three months since they are hardly supplied with water from GWI. “We get charged for something  we don’t use,” he stated, adding that it was unfair for them to receive any bills.

WASTED WATER
Meanwhile, GWI said a significant portion of the water that is supplied is consistently being wasted by customers and this continues to be the key factor that is causing the level of service to fluctuate. The company has warned customers of Potaro Road, West Indian Housing Scheme and the Bybarobo area about this wastage.

METERING
Further, the installation of meters has received some resistance from customers, but this mechanism  is aimed at reducing wastage in order to make more water available for customers.  GWI has issued notices to customers and continues to appeal for their cooperation as metering is critical to curbing wastage and improving levels of service.
All components of the Bartica Water Improvement Programme are being executed by contractor Alvin Chowramootoo Construction Services.
The water utility has commenced an awareness programme aimed at informing customers about the improvements expected upon completion of the programme,  including  television shows slated to  commence this month.