GUYANA Water Incorporated (GWI) Managing-Director Dr. Richard Van-West Charles and Mayor Patricia Chase-Green on Christmas Eve visited Sparendaam to enquire about the water quality and supply of a new well drilled there.

Residents welcomed the well, noting that before the water quality was poor since sediments and iron could be found inside.
“We getting water now, we ain’t punishing now since they start looking after the well,” a resident, Shanetta David said, responding to a query from Dr. Van-West Charles about the water quality she is currently receiving.

“So far were getting nice water that you can drink, everyone in the village should be happy for a long while that water was coming,” said Moses (only name given), another villager.
Dr. Van-West Charles noted that by mid-January, the water will be treated and also the overhead water tanks will be fully activated.

He explained that because there had been no water in the lines for a long time, all the rust needed to be flushed out, resulting in residents receiving a little rusty water.

Water supply to one resident Ester Simon, who is unemployed, was disconnected because she could not afford it, but Dr. Van-West Charles and Mayor Chase-Green came up with a payment plan for the woman.

Simon, who suffers from a visual ailment, had owed the GWI over S120, 000, but will now pay $1,500 a month with her water immediately reconnected for the holidays.
Come early January, the $40M well in Sparendaam is expected to be fully functional. The well is one of three being executed for the water company by the Dutch firm De Ruiter Grondwatertechniek. The first was at Diamond. Sophia is next in line to benefit from quality water service.