High time a real solution is found for BWA

The past couple of days have been a nightmare for residents in the North who lacked running water. Last weekend, the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) reported that there was a leak in the large-diameter main in the Rock Hall North Distribution System.

At the time it affected water flow and supply in three northern parishes: St James, St Peter and St Lucy. The main is located between Rock Hall and Four Hill, St Peter and BWA crews swiftly started work on the site.

The challenge for them was the location of the main which is in a 35-foot gully. 

By Monday another statement was issued letting customers and businesses in Four Hill, Four Hill Development, French Village, Mount Brevitor, Indian Ground, Roebuck, Diamond Corner, Welch Town, Moore Hill, Castle, Boscobelle Terrace, Gays Tenantry and the immediate surroundings that they will continue to experience low-pressure and/or water outages.

While the BWA should be commended for continually issuing statements keeping residents apprised of the situation, it did little to ease the plight facing those without running water.

What compounded the situation is that the promise of “BWA tankers providing water to the affected areas” was not fulfilled in some areas.

Sadly, too many residents in St Lucy complained bitterly that the community tanks in some areas were not replenished during the ordeal.

One resident said: “We feel real bad, we want this fixed by [today]. We got to buy too much bottled water. We need someone to donate some bottles. Tell [St Peter Member of Parliament] Colin Jordan to help us,” she said.

While another lamented: “I got carpal tunnel syndrome so I can’t lift buckets of water. It’s a good thing the fellas helping me. I use that water to flush and bathe but I buy water to drink. The current can go off but not water; we need it.”

Throughout districts in the North residents were spotted at standpipes filling up anything that could store water.

But the BWA had their hands full as well. All they had to do was being done manually.

In a video issued, senior superintendent Gregory Thompson explained just how challenging the situation was. He said they dug almost five feet using “forks, pecks, spades, shovels, drills” adding that the job was made more treacherous by some showers.

“We had to clear some 200 metres away from the main road using heavy excavation [Monday]. When we cleared that, what we found then was that the gully had some very sharp sides. It’s not a level playing field; the equipment couldn’t get down there. So, by hand, we cleared a path some 35 feet down this steep incline to the very bottom where we discovered that burst main.

He continued: “We are working through that right now to try to get to the main so we can repair and alleviate the problems that a lot of persons are having in terms of water outages and low pressure in this Rock Hall North system. When we get to the main, we have to clear that whole main section by hand.

“What we’ve done as well is that we’ve manually lifted all the fittings and the pipe down into the gully so we have them at hand when we’re ready. There’s nothing that can help us in terms of any equipment at all, nothing, not where this main is located. In my 27 years here at BWA . . . within distribution, this is the most difficult job I’ve ever come across,” Thompson said.

We have heard time and time again that the infrastructure which houses and facilitates our water system is old and in dire need of upgrade.

We have heard Prime Minister Mia Mottley and her Deputy Santia Bradshaw, under whose ministry the BWA lies, promise residents at Town Hall meetings especially in the North and St Thomas that great governmental attention is being paid to the BWA and its resources.

We have also heard acting CEO Keithroy Halliday, who ironically quit the job after seven years of service Thursday, repeatedly say that key areas chronically affected by water challenges will be attended to. In a memo Halliday told BWA colleagues that he had made the “difficult decision” to resign.

People in the North of the island have grown very wary of these soundbites of hope, from those in authority. They  mean very little when faced with the challenges of the past days.

The water plight in the North has been going on for far too long with no seeming end in sight.

We understand that the system is old and will be prone to disrepair. However, what we do not understand and what we find unjust is the lack of water tankers deployed and the empty community tanks in St Lucy.

In 2024, residents are paying the highest water bills ever in Barbados’ history. Therefore, their expectation of proper service and fulfilled promises of tankers when service is disrupted are certainly not too much to ask.