Service was restored today to some of the residents affected by the Barbados Water Authority’s (BWA) mains repair project on the East Coast.
And all residents, including those at Cattlewash, St Joseph, where the work took place, should have running water again soon.
Director of Engineering at the BWA Charles Leslie gave that assurance on Thursday during a press briefing where he provided an update about the repair project which started a few weeks ago, after complaints from a Cattlewash resident about the BWA’s transmission main.
“One of our customers on the seaside started to see some water coming up through a pump area in their floor and when we came to investigate, we recognised it was a leak on our transmission main.
“We spent some time trying to repair that transmission main but then we recognised those attempts were futile because of the depth, and conditions of the soil. So just over a week ago, we decided that the best solution would be to relay this entire section of main that was installed via the directional drilling method,” Leslie explained.
He said they were pleased that some residents had water and they were hopeful the others could soon get some relief.
“We are pleased to say the transmission main is completed and that was put back into service yesterday. So customers in St Andrew and St Joseph are getting water.”
In addition to the repairs, he also explained why the distribution main was upgraded.
“Along with the repair we also did upgrades. We took the opportunity to relay the distribution main that we had along this section so we wouldn’t have to come back here. We also laid a two-inch main on the seaside to avoid us having to install crossings if the seaside is developed in the future.
“All we are doing now is waiting for results about the distribution main that services the properties along the East Coast Road. We are expecting that report today or tomorrow and once those results are good, those mains will be put into service. So within a couple of days, the residents in this area and beyond will have the restoration of water in their homes,” Leslie added.
Since the work began, many residents in surrounding districts complained about a lack of water and communication about the project.
BWA tankers, however, were deployed to assist residents.
During the press conference, chairman of the BWA Stevon Roberts and acting general manager, Christopher Mapp expressed gratitude to staff for their work and to residents for their patience.
“I know it could not have been easy on the customers but I assure you that the BWA worked tirelessly on the relaying of this main to get service back up in as short a time as possible,” Mapp said. (TG)
