The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) says the disruption in water supply that residents of Bath Settlement suffered recently was due to power fluctuations.
In a press release GWI said a report published in the Monday edition of the Stabroek News said residents complained that they had only received “little trickles” of water after an eight-inch impeller was replaced with a six-inch impeller.
However, GWI said the standard design for the pump stations discharge pipe requires a six to eight inch reducer.
The company said due to the current dry season some residents use its water for agricultural purposes and its system is only designed to meet demands for domestic purposes.
This, it said, causes residents at the lower end of the Settlement to experience low water pressure.
Moreover, GWI said on Thursday the Settlement experienced a power disruption which crippled operations at its pump stations all day.
It said another power disruption on Friday also interfered with operations that entire day. GWI said on Saturday at 6 am Regional Chairman Harrinarine Baldeo informed its divisional manager that residents had planned to protest citing inadequate water supply.
Baldeo, along with GWI’s electrician and divisional manager visited the pump station to address the problem. It was then that the team discovered that the station’s control panel had tripped due to the power fluctuations. GWI said it sources electricity directly from the power company and the sudden power disruptions affect the pump station motors.
The company said the problem was then rectified in the presence of Baldeo and the protestors. GWI said around 7.30am water was restored to the affected residents.
On Saturday, Chairman of the Bath/Woodley Park Neighbourhood Democratic Council, Cecil Ramdatt had told this newspaper that he contacted an official from GWI and learnt that “one of the impellers has malfunctioned and the other is not functioning at all.” He also said that efforts were being made to have the problems rectified.
Sugar workers of Bath Settlement had downed tools early on Saturday morning in protest at the water shortage they said had been plaguing them for almost two weeks and called for the return of the service by the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund Committee (SILWFC).
Bisnauth Persaud, a workers’ representative residing in the village had said on Saturday that they have to purchase water from a private truck for $1,000 per barrel and not everyone can afford that.
He said workers have to leave home around 3 am and some do not have enough water to use for cooking and bathing.
