Glenn Lall and the trench water

Jan 04, 2023 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

Kaieteur News – When the older generation attended school, you always knew when a classmate of yours took a bath in the trench. The trench water left a distinct (not stink) smell on them.

That was a long time ago. But it has now been revealed that Guyanese are still bathing with trench water.

Glenn Lall, the Publisher of the Kaieteur News, is from the Island of Wakenaam, Essequibo Islands. He visited his home island over the Christmas holidays and related an experience.

According to Lall he almost vomited when he saw the colour of the water and smelt it. He related this in a video in which he also said that some Villagers prefer to use the nasty trench water than the water coming through the taps.

Yet, it was only recently that the Guyana Water Authority was boasting about a new well it had drilled on the Island. In August of this year, the well was commissioned by no less a person than President Irfaan Ali who also announced that a G$1.3B water treatment plant will be built to provide treated water to residents.

It was an announcement which should have raised eyebrows because prior to 2015, the PPPC had been in Government for 23 years. In that period tens of billions of dollars were expended on upgrading the country’s water and sanitation system. Despite this, it had to take the commissioning of the well at Noitgedacht, for some 3, 500 residents of that and surrounding areas to benefit from a 24-hour water supply.

But what is the use of having a 24-hour supply of water if the water cannot be used even for washing purposes. This is the 21 century and there are persons in Guyana who still have to use trench water for cooking, washing and cleaning.

By now the people of Wakenaan should have been able to enjoy not only a 24-hour sup-ply of water. By now the people of that island should have been enjoying treated water.

It was shocking to learn that only about half of the residents in Regions 2, 3, 4, 6, 10 and in Bartica receive treated water. After 23 plus years of PPPC Governments, this is the legacy of its water and sanitation policies

It was only after Glenn Lall publicized the plight of the people of Wakenaan that the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) responded. But what a response the Water Utility Agency has provided.

According to the GWI, the problem is the iron content of the water. It is well known that the high iron content in water in Guyana, causes heavy discoloration. Anyone who has seen a bucket in an area where there is untreated water will recognize the stains caused by the heavy iron content of the water.

But GWI is contending that problem with the water has to do with the Residents interfering with the water supply system. Is it not GWI’s responsibility to protect the system? And where is the evidence that the Residents are interfering with the system and contaminating the water with iron bacteria?

At the same time, the GWI is contradicting itself by claiming that there are varying levels of iron content in water along the coast. And as such, the water utility cannot be blamed for this problem.

This is a lame excuse. Instead of making such a facile defence, GWI should explain why it is that in this the third decade of the 21^st century, Residents are still receiving water with a high iron content.

While GWI cannot dictate the amount of iron in the water being produced by the well, it is well within its means to control the iron content of the water which consumers receive. And this is why it is necessary to have water treatment plants – something which should have long been the case for water users.

The GWI must not attempt to dodge responsibility. It should accept that there is a problem and commit to fixing it within a set time frame. Naturally, this involves putting in place a water treatment plant for the area. In the meantime, GWI can suggest measures, including filters, which households can utilize to extract the iron content from the well water which is being fed to their homes.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)