The spotlight falls on the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) this week as online readers expressed their outrage over two incidents which they say highlight the two sides of Barbados.
One involves the BWA not billing a gated community at Porters, St James, for ten years because no meters had been installed on the property. It is now exploring its options with regard to recouping the money lost.
The other incident relates to Margo Williams, of Martin’s Bay, St John, who pays her bill every month, but has been receiving discoloured water for nine years. Williams has spent thousands of dollars buying bottled water and filters and is yet to get relief from her plight, although the BWA has now promised to install a new main.
Here are readers’ reactions to both stories.
On the “free water” at Porters:
Sherville Harris: Make them pay up or refund me for ten years.
Caroca Cabrinie: How can the people pay money if they aren’t getting a bill? Blame BWA, not the homeowners.
Andrea Gittens: Who made the connection to the main?
Jason Lewis: You can’t blame the residents if they are renting, because in some cases the rent covers utilities, and if they are purchased properties, then that might be covered under some kind of covenant.
Felicia Marshall: Somebody needs to be imprisoned for this. This is money that has leaked out of the Government’s pocket for ten years. Now we are being overtaxed to facilitate Government spending. I wonder how many more similar cases are out there.
Curtis Cherubin: How can this happen? During construction there is a metered temporary connection which is upgraded on completion of the construction to include a bulk meter and individual meters.
Gibson Jethro: I hope this matter is handed over to the police and not brushed under the carpet.
Ryan Bartlett: This is sickening and I’m sure somebody knew about this.
Stuart Gourley: If you think that’s the only one that was missed, you’re probably mistaken.
On Margo Williams’ plight:
Ashley Sterling: Too bad she’s a normal Bajan. I hear if she lived in a rich gated community, she’d have clean water for free.
Margaret Reid: They can’t give her clean water, but they can give the residents of the gated community at Porters, St James, free water for ten years.
Taitt Marcia: Crap BWA! Lady paying for brown water and still has to pay somebody to take her to a standpipe to get clean water while the people in a gated community not paying for any type of water at all.
Michelle Stephens: BWA should be made to pay you back every cent of bottle water money you spent.
Orson Arthur: This woman should be refunded for all the years of bad service and dirty water, along with all the money she had to pay to go to get water. It took all that time to find out they had a rusty pipe. That is sad.
• Sherrylyn Toppin is The NATION’s Online Editor.
