Dear Editor,
Contrary to the views of Mr Lloyd Conway in his letter to the editor dated December 3, 2008, pertaining to non-communication with residents of the community of McDoom and Agricola on the issue of water supply to residents in those communities (‘No water for a week from GWI and no explanation either’), let me state emphatically that the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) has issued a public notice on the National Communication Network (NCN) which informed residents of the technical difficulties the company is experiencing at the well site and said that everything is being done to restore water to the community. That public notice is still being aired on NCN.
As an interim measure a GWI water tender has been deployed to the area and has been delivering water to residents on the main road and will continue to do so until the situation is rectified.
The challenge that exists at the Agricola Pump Station relates directly to the iron deposits associated with wells in Guyana. This particular situation was compounded because of the methods that had to be employed to specifically determine the problem.
The problem began after a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) slack connection led to unbalanced voltage to one of the phases which resulted in sparks at the said pump station. Upon rectification of the electricity problem by GPL the submersible pump was brought up to the surface for examination. Subsequent to its reinstallation the pump malfunctioned because of the iron content in the well; this led to airlifting of the well to remove the iron content, which is still in progress. It is expected that the process will be completed by Friday, after which an assessment will be made. If all technical problems are fixed residents will again receive normal water supplies.
GWI wishes to assure its customers that we are doing everything in our power to ensure water is returned to these communities as early as possible.
Yours faithfully,
Rawle Aaron
Public Relations Officer
Guyana Water Inc
