NO longer will residents residing in the community of West Watooka Hill Top, have to trek long distances to the creek or to purchase water for everyday use, as the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), has answered their call and has commenced the water installation project in the community.

An official from GWI related that the workers are pushing forward for residents to get water in their taps, in time for the holidays. The laying of pipelines and other ground work, are in full swing and with this tangible move, residents are overjoyed and are praising GWI for the move.

The GWI official said that a decision was made to push forward the project after residents expressed how difficult it was for them to source water. This was highlighted by resident Natasha Croft, who said that the residents were forced to fetch water from the creek which they later learnt was unsanitary, since many residential sewage systems, led into the waterway. They also relied on the rain and during the dry season, they were forced to purchase water.

With children living in many of the homes, Croft said that the provision of water was a much needed amenity and was very ecstatic, that their dry days will be ending before 2019. “We are so excited that since GWI came in, we have been with them from the get go to render self-help in whatever way. We would go with our wheel barrow and help fetch the white sand to full back where they dig to put the pipes; we are working foot and foot with them,” she said.

Constituency Representative of West Watooka, Sherry Fyfe, said she was pleased that the project came to the community and the residents’ lives have now gotten easier. “They did have a problem with water, especially on the hill and so the project will benefit them a lot, because the water would be purified water and they use to source water from the creek and we learnt that was not safe for consumption, so this is very good for them,” Fyfe said.
Croft said that with the recent achievements in the community, residents were motivated to form a Community Development Council and since then, would have engaged the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Ltd. (N.I.C.I.L) on approval to use a piece of land for the construction of an Information Communication Technology (ICT) hub and a play park for the children. This was approved, and Croft also hailed the move as another hall mark achievement for the community. The CDC is hoping that next year, they will benefit from internet service, since the children residing there, find it challenging to study and complete their assignments, after school. As the community looks forward to these projects, the residents remain optimistic that with what has been started, their overall needs will be met, in 2020.