Water problems at the Port Kaituma Primary School, resulting from sloppy work by a contractor hired by the Region One Administration, have been rectified.
A source close to the school said that a new contractor reconnected pipes to the eight water tanks that usually store rainwater for drinking and cleaning purposes. It was noted that all the tanks are now full after rainfall over the last few days.
Regional Chairman Fermin Singh told Stabroek News that the Guyana Water Incorporated took some pipelines to the school last week and “were supposed to install it by now” Singh noted too that the regional administration was assisting with the project and will be doing some remedial works so that the school can have a supply of water.
Stabroek News had been told that the roof of the sanitary block (which has flush toilets) also serves as a water trestle, where the water tanks were placed. Recently there were signs of cracking and this was reported to the education department at Mabaruma as well as to the regional authorities. A resident of the area was later contracted to remove the tanks from the middle to ease the pressure. They were to be place directly on the columns.
Prior to their removal, the tanks were connected in such a way that whenever it rained the eight tanks would be filled one after the other.
In order to facilitate the moving of the tanks, the contactor dismantled the pipe set up and never fixed it back. As a result, only two of the tanks are filled whenever the rains falls; a supply that lasts for one day.
A source had stressed that there is no other source of water in the compound and the school depended heavily on rainwater for drinking, cleaning and flushing toilets.
Because of this situation, students were forced to go home to get water for drinking and would often return to classes late. Because of the lack of water, students were unable to use the washrooms in the sanitary block. Instead they had to use five pit latrines in the yard and there was no water to wash their hands when they are finished.
There were fears that the water situation could develop into a health crisis if not urgently rectified.
