SHODDY water service in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) will become a thing of the past as the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has stepped in to address the growing concerns of residents.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, has assured residents that they will soon receive an improved quality of treated water.

Residents have, for months, been complaining about the poor water quality they have been receiving.
Sixty-one-year-old Steven Kasinath, a councillor and resident of Chesney Village Corentyne, said the community has been severely affected by the fluctuating water service.

“For the past two to three months, the water comes on and off. There is no proper water flow but, in the night, like after eight [o’clock] … we have water but during the day when the housewives wish to use this water to do some little house chores then there is no water to do it,” he told the minister.

Another resident, Kamaludeen Hussain, said as early as 8:00 hours, there is no water supply in the community. Hussain said that basic services such as water and electricity must be prioritised.

“It would ensure that we get 24-hours water as promised and everything would be fine. The resolution of this matter would show residents the seriousness of the government,” he said.

GWI’s Manager, Randolph Leitch, said part of the issue has been caused by faulty power lines that are the basis of constant power outages.
“For the past month and a half, we have been experiencing voltage imbalance from GPL because we have had customers complain that they have power at home but no water.

“So, once GPL gets any fluctuation then the pump would trip off and that is why most of the homes would get water during the day between the hours of 3pm and 6pm. Sometimes it (water) comes back at 12 and then goes again at 2,” he said.

In response, Minister Rodrigues said: “I spoke with Minister (within the Ministry of Public Works) Deodat Indar, M.P about this and we are trying to see how best we can address the situation as quickly as possible because it is not only here, but in every region. We are looking at it, it has our attention so it will be addressed shortly.”

Minister Indar has responsibility for the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and Minister Rodrigues, for the water sector.
While most of GWI’s pump stations are equipped with generators to ensure that there are minimal incidents, Minister Rodrigues said that the approach is not feasible at every station.

In the meantime, Minister Rodrigues asked residents to be patient with the entity and the government, as they work to rectify the situation. Communities such as Fryish, Port Mourant, Babu John, among others are also affected.

Minister Rodrigues has informed residents that the region will soon benefit from a third water treatment plant for the Corentyne Coast to provide 100 per cent coverage of treated water.

(DPI)