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Five months later…Region 8 residents forced to use creek water as GWI still to complete $5M well
Kaieteur News – It has been five months since a standstill was placed on works for a $5.1M water well to service the community of El Paso in Region Eight (Potaro- Siparuni), leaving the residents without access to proper potable water.
The water well was left incomplete since last November when residents had complained of the substandard works done by the contractor employed through the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI). Kaieteur News understands that the community has received no word from GWI on the completion of the well.
The $5.1M water well in El Paso (Photo: The Guyana Times)
Residents had reached out to this publication lamenting that the water well was only partially serviceable and was only providing a school within the community with water, leaving the rest of the community without. The enraged residents also referred to the situation as a “total disrespect” to hard-earned taxpayer dollars and called for a faster resolution.
When Kaieteur News had contacted the Mayor of Mahdia, David Adams, it was revealed that the Mahdia Mayor and Town Council had contributed some $4.5 million to the project. He was keen to note that the Council had no supervision over it, since the money was given to GWI which contracted a Brazilian company, Fox Services and Trading, to drill the well. It was stated that the well was supposed to be dug at 150 feet but the contractor stopped at 90 feet. The reason given was that they encountered rocks, preventing them from drilling further.
Adams disclosed too that the company claimed it had encountered equipment issues and had to avert the project to go back to GWI for repairs to be done. Even after this was done, the residents were provided with another excuse. The contractor told the community that they were deployed to Port Kaituma, in Region One (Barima-Waini) to construct another well. Adams was told that they would return after completing the new assignment.
The works in Port Kaituma were expected to last just three weeks. Yet, the company has not returned to Region Eight to finish what was started.
This led to the residents contacting this publication once more to express their disappointment. The Mayor, frustrated as well, told Kaieteur News that he is yet to receive word about the project.
As a result of the contractor’s negligence, the Mayor said residents are forced to use water from the creek in the community.
It was stated by GWI that since the current well cannot service the entire community, it will be used solely for the supply of water to the school. It was hoped that another water well would be constructed in another part of the community, to provide all of the residents with potable water.
However, that would require additional funding. Unfortunately, the Town Council had no more funds to disburse on this additional project since most of its investment ($4.5) went to the first well totalling $5.1.M.
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