By Michel Outridge

THE Guyana Chronicle visited Diamond New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara yesterday after many complaints from residents about the hardship of sourcing potable water for their homes, despite water trucks from Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) making the rounds.The good news, according to GWI Public Relations Officer Timothy Austin, while the Diamond Well Station is still being fixed a contract will be inked today between the water company and the contractor who will rehabilitate the well station.

About two weeks ago residents of Diamond New Housing Scheme community and its environs have been without potable water since the Diamond Well Station developed technical difficulties. A large amount of clay was discovered and repairs are being done to a ruptured casing in the well.

This newspaper yesterday spoke to several residents about their water woes. Marilyn Edwards, who was at the time fetching water from a neighbour’s yard yesterday morning, said it has been about two weeks since the well has not been working and so potable water supply has stopped. She described the situation as ‘punishment’ because she does not have barrels to store water whenever the water trucks come around.

Edwards said that she would get water from the water trucks which she stores in buckets but those are quickly utilised because there is a baby in the house and they have to wash clothes every day and do household chores.
BUYING DRINKING WATER

The woman noted that water is being delivered via trucks with black tanks and they would allow residents to full up their buckets and barrels but the water is somewhat ‘reddish’ in colour and they cannot drink that water provided by GWI.

Edwards stated that they have to buy drinking water which was priced at $240 but since the water woes hit the community the price has gone up to $260 per bottle of sealed drinking water.

Moreover, she is tasked with fetching water from her neighbour’s yard because they are getting water from the main line but at a much reduced level and she is trying to make much of it.

Patricia Aaron, who was ‘breezing out’ on her verandah yesterday morning when the Guyana Chronicle visited, said her household is trying to cope with the water delivery system set up by GWI in that village.

In addition, she loosened the main pipeline and they are getting some water to fill-up their buckets, etc. for household use.

WASH BAY AFFECTED
And at a wash bay in Diamond, several residents who were there said they are getting water but at a very reduced level from the main pipeline and they even turned it on to show this newspaper.

The men said they are using a water pump to source water for their operations at the wash bay and are hoping that the full water pressure is restored soon because it is affecting their business. They were observed washing cars yesterday morning with a bucket of soapy water instead of a power washer.

Carlos Goomes told this publication that at first when they heard that the ‘well was down’ they were not getting any water from the tap but this week they are getting some potable water.

Last Thursday GWI said that they were still experiencing technical difficulties at the Diamond Well Station. Earlier the East Bank Demerara Maintenance Team had observed that the water being produced by the Diamond Well Station, which has a depth of approximately 600 feet, contained large amounts of clay.

Further investigations revealed that the well casing was compromised at approximately 241 feet below the surface.
According to Denise Woolford, Well Maintenance Engineer, GWI, “a GWI team and a contractor are currently performing repair work on the ruptured casing. This work entails removing the accumulation of clay from the well and placing an internal sleeve in an attempt to seal the rupture. Following this, the well will be cleaned and disinfected.”

During this period, GWI will be delivering water via tankers to the Diamond Housing Scheme and Kaneville as follows:
Diamond Housing Scheme: 9:00hrs – 20:00hrs from 21st Avenue to 1st Avenue; and
Kaneville from 17:00hrs – 20:00hrs – ‘Middle Road’ Kaneville

In addition, water is being provided from areas between Covent Garden and Grove to supply Diamond Community in addition to the delivery of water via tankers.