City Hall finally to probe sewage affecting Werk-en-Rust residents

1 month later

One month after this publication first reported that residents in Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, are being affected by a sewage issue as a result of an apparent leakage at a nearby hotel, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) have committed to intervening into the situation.
Public Relations Officer of the M&CC, Debra Lewis said on Saturday that she was unaware of the situation and will give the home, which is surrounded by sewage a visit.
The affected residents have been relying on the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) for assistance in having the waste pumped out for the past year. Efforts made by Guyana Times on Saturday to contact the public relations department of the water company proved futile.
The frustrated residents, who are forced to conduct their daily routines in a yard filled with sewage said they were confused and did not know who else to turn to for help.
They complained of being unable to use their washroom facilities as they please, owing to condoms and even sanitary napkins blocking up their systems.
One resident, who gave her name only as Tashana, said residents in the area were quite fed up of the situation as sewage keeps seeping into her yard.
The woman, whose home is on Princes Street, Georgetown, said that she has been trying to put up with the situation for about one year now, but it has landed her four-year-old son in the hospital already.
Tashana even noted that she too fell sick for four months and was off of her job as a result of the unpleasant fumes and materials that end up in her yard.
“The sewage is overflowing for about a year now. Sometimes people come and they pump it out… [but] for about three months or so, I have stuff running through my yard,” the resident said.
According to her, every time she makes a complaint about the issue, she is made to wait two to three months while being told “we’re working on it” before the authorities clean the sewage. The horrific situation would somehow reoccur in about a week’s time, causing her to have to wait again before it can be addressed.
The frustrated woman said her mother, who is a pensioner, lives with her and is often times forced to stay indoors given the situation.
The resident said that the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) usually handled the situation, so she has never made a complaint to the M&CC. She, however, said that GWI officials had warned the hotel owners about the issue.