Days after Guyana Times published an article highlighting the substandard quality of water being supplied to residents of Waiakabra, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) visited the area to inspect the quality of the water.
The condition of the water that residents of Waiakabra were receiving from GWI
In an invited comment on Tuesday, GWI’s Public Relations Officer, Leana Bradshaw said that the inspection was done and a visual assessment of the water being distributed to residents, even at the end of the network, did not indicate water with a high iron concentration.
Nevertheless, GWI has since flushed the lines so as to further improve the quality of water being supplied to residents. She noted that GWI collected water samples prior to and after the flushing exercise in Waiakabra. Those samples have been sent to the Water Quality Laboratory to be tested and results are expected to be available today.
Last week, residents of Waiakabra reached out to this publication, calling on the GWI to pay a much-needed visit to the community and answer questions about the condition of the tap water they were being forced to consume, as there is no alternative source of water for the community.
Residents described the condition of the water as “unacceptable” and “inhumane” and after several weeks of calling and making reports, they were still to receive a visit or any sort of intervention from the water company.
The community is mainly populated by Amerindians who depend on small-scale farming for their daily bread and cannot afford to purchase water for consumption. Guyana Times visited the community on Saturday last and spoke to a few residents who expressed dissatisfaction with the way they are being treated by the Administration.
Leon DaSilva, who shared his concerns with this publication, said that over the years, the community has been overlooked by the Administration. The quality of the water being supplied to residents, he said, is unfair to residents since they are paying for second-class service, which is of no benefit to them.
Another resident, Leana Melville, who also spoke to this publication, said that the condition of the water was becoming worse. She said residents had previously complained of the stench of the water and oil which is usually settled on top. The mother of four noted that she is forced to purchase bottled water for her children to use because the water they are receiving through the tap is not safe for consumption. “To be honest, we can’t use the water to do anything. A few days ago, I was trying to strain it with a cloth, but that didn’t work. There is thick rust in the water. And that would do more harm than good to anybody,” she had said.
