water relief

The Barbados Water Authority (BWA) has been able to restore water to several St Joseph districts.

 

BWA’s Corporate Communications Specialist, Joy-ann Haigh, visited Lammings, Horse Hill, Bissex Housing Area and surrounding communities yesterday to check in with residents, who were in some instances without tap water for months.

 

The residents are getting relief now that the BWA commissioned the second borehole at Sweet Vale, last weekend.

 

“Water is gradually being restored to all areas impacted that feed off the Castle Grant reservoir. We are checking district to district to see how the water situation is…We want to see who 

is receiving water and if there are persons in the areas not getting as yet, and we want to obviously take note of that,” Haigh indicated.

 

Also, she revealed that throughout the day crews from BWA’s Leak Detection Department were busy in that parish. “Now that the water is on they are throughout the districts testing for leaks. They are ensuring that we are not the losing the water that we just put into the system.”

 

The Communications Specialist also wants residents to understand the importance of conserving water in and around their homes.

 

“We want them to know that though the water is back on they still have to conserve it… They have been asking how long will it last. No one can actually state how long anything would last for… It is really up to usage, infrastructural failure such as a burst main, a power outage or equipment failure. But the one we are concerned about is the drought like conditions affecting some of the higher areas. And even though this borehole is in St George in the Sweet Vale basin, and if no rain comes, over a period of time that also will start to be impacted.”

 

Hal Holder, a resident of Horse Hill shared with the media that he wasn’t getting water for about the last 16 weeks.

 

“I honestly feel good to have the water running again. Since Saturday it has been on and I have been getting a good shower, no more using buckets.”

 

Krystal Grant also from Horse Hill gave birth to her son Iniko only six weeks ago. She expressed that it wasn’t easy dealing with the outages especially with a new baby.

 

“I feel good now that we have water again. I am still in shock to see it running, but I am happy and I hope it stays on a little longer than usual,” she said.

 

Bissex resident Sandra Parris was busy doing laundry when Haigh visited. Although happy to have the water back on, she recalled that the last few months were difficult.

 

“It wasn’t easy with the water off. Some mornings I had to go far to the East Coast to catch water.”

 

Parris also took the opportunity to ask Haigh why BWA was still sending residents of St Joseph, like herself, water bills.

 

“The BWA never stopped anyone from questioning their bills. If persons are not happy with the bill reflecting usage, they are free to come in and have that discussion. The BWA will make whatever adjustments that needs to be made to the bill…We are doing it case by case,” Haigh told the concerned resident. (TL)

 

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