No approval was issued for the drilling of a well to the owner of Lot 52 Grove New Housing Scheme, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Hydrometeorological Services said yesterday.

Hundreds of gallons of water suddenly began spurting from the earth to a height of approximately 25 feet at the East Bank Demerara location around 9 am on Tuesday. The water continued shooting into the air for about two hours as shocked well workers and residents looked on.

In a press statement issued last evening the Hydro-   meteorological Service said that the owner was not given permission to drill a well or abstract water. A drilling permit and licence to abstract water must be obtained from the Hydrometeorological Service before construction, modification or abandonment of any well.

Applications for such activities, the press release stated, must be submitted to the Hydrometeorological Service and must be accompanied by documentation from the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) indicating their inability to supply the water for which the well is drilled; a well bore schematic map and map or plot showing the location of the well, an approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for drilling in the location proposed and appropriate processing fees.

The Water and Sewerage Act of 2002 makes provisions for the above stated requirement, the services stated, and persons discovered violating the act can face a fine or imprisonment.

The service stated that it intends to take legal action again anyone found guilty of such an offence.

Grove residents had informed Stabroek News on Tuesday that a large section of the area had not been getting water from the Guyana Water Incorporated’s (GWI) connection.