GWI is unfairly depriving me of water supply to my home

Feb 16, 2023 Letters

Dear Editor,

I am forced to once again publicly voice my utter dissatisfaction with the Customer Service of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).

On October 31, 2022 I made an application at the Bachelor’s Adventure branch on the East Coast Of Demerara for water supply and connection to my home. Sometime in December, I received a response from Mr. Jermaine Nunes, a GWI Engineer, who acknowledged my application for the service and told me that he will have to carry out a feasibility study first to determine if I can get the service or not. The engineer then visited my property and told me that it is located in an un-engineered area, which means GWI will be unable to provide me with water supply, but If I want the water connection that I will need to apply for an extension of service which will cost GY $ 80,000, which I agreed to and was given the go ahead to pay for the service for water supply.

On December 28, 2022, I paid for the water supply and connection and waited on Mr. Jermaine Nunes to provide me with an estimate for the extension of service so I could pay for it as well, but it was never provided to me. Following that, another engineer contacted me two months later on Wednesday, February 08, 2023, and told me that he will be installing the meter. I was not at home and when I got home, I noticed the meter was installed next to a house in Paradise, which is about approximate 300 feet away from my house which is located at Foulis on the East Coast of Demerara. This put me at disadvantage still, since the water is not connected to my house and there is no water to bathe, wash and cook, and it is hard on me to get by on a daily basis.

On Tuesday, February, 14, 2023, I visited the Bachelor’s Adventure branch to speak with Manager Mr. Ryan Dhanraaj on the issue but was told by his secretary that he was in a meeting. The secretary then put me on to Mr. Jermaine Nunes who had told me last year that the extension service will cost 80,000. I requested the estimate for the extension of service from him again and he brought a paper with the figure changed from GY $ 80,000 to GY $ 168,000 for the extension of service, I questioned him on why the figure has changed, he smiled and walked away.

I have noticed that GWI is depriving me of water supply and connection to my home and being unfair me with excess cost while other persons in the community get theirs and never paid a cent for extension of service. So why me?

Editor, I have seen over the past years many areas developed into housing schemes such as La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank of Demerara (WBD), Diamond Housing Scheme is (EBD) and Pradoville Two housing schemes at Sparendaam on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) were without basic amenities, such as water, electricity and telephone service and residences of those communities were provided with those services. Why is it that some communities, including the residents of Foulis, particularly me, being treated differently? I don’t think it is fair.

I am calling publicly on the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Hon. Nigel Dharamlall, MP, the chairman of Buxton/Foulis Neighbourhood Democratic Council, (NDC) and Mr. Shaik Baksh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GWI to kindly look into this matter, so that I could get water supply to my home like others, an essential commodity which I am in need of.

Yours faithfully,

Rayvonne P. Bourne

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Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast of Demerara, Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Mr. Jermaine Nunes, Nigel Dharamlall, Rayvonne P. Bourne

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