Ahead of a planned March 1 Northern system shutdown to repair pipeline leaks, the Water and Sewerage Company Inc. (WASCO) has announced that the government would assist with trucking water to consumers.
“They will assist us with that trucking, for which we are very grateful,” WASCO Chief Executive Officer Zilta George-Leslie said at a news conference on Tuesday.
She explained that trucking water to customers, which WASCO has been doing for the past three weeks, is very costly.
However, she said the government was willing to partner with WASCO in paying truckers to provide the service.
The WASCO CEO disclosed that trucking water would continue until February 29.
But she said on March 1 and 2, no trucking will occur because of the temporary system shutdown.
Nevertheless, she told reporters that in the case of an emergency, WASCO has a backup.
“We have the Hill 20 system, which is not attached to this John Compton Dam system,” George-Leslie stated.
She also said WASCO has its Thomazo system in Dennery.
The WASCO CEO said in the event of an emergency, truckers could collect water from those two facilities.
George-Leslie observed that people can request trucking currently.
“We have now established those zone officers so each officer now we would be able to give out that number, and we will share that with you as well as with the public so that they can know persons in a particular area and the particular person that you can reach so we want to make it a little more personable and a lot more easier for the customers,” she told reporters.
Nevertheless, the WASCO officials advised citizens to conserve water,
She also reminded Saint Lucians that from January to June constitutes the dry season.
In this regard, she asserted that based on global forecasts about El Nino and climate change, the dry season would be ‘very rigourous’, bringing low flows.
“We are already experiencing and seeing low flows in certain areas in the South and also in certain areas in the North, so people need to be mindful,” George-Leslie declared.
While urging people to conserve water, she acknowledged customer complaints that they could not do so when they were not receiving supplies.
George-Leslie told the news conference it was for that reason that WASCO had implemented water trucking.
Even government is seeing the failures! Is like zeroing their debt was just for their hefty salaries and bonuses while people suffer!
Government helping Wasco ??? Smh that’s the problem smh these ppl treat Wasco like is sand they provide to the country smh again. It’s water !!! And it is sad to see our leaders time after time take one of the most important things we need in life itself not want need for a big joke . Government needs to do it ..it’s not help it is priority, almost close to state of emergency if you ask me . Especially with various virus and COVID ect . Hygiene and the environment need water . Smh and the disrespectful part in this smh again .. they will tell us water is life lol .. that’s how blind our leaders are or just don’t care . I guess if water is life then you all are killers . So that type of crime for life, they should maybe hang you all or we the society should maybe burn you all or throw stones . That level of crime is very serious. I am just saying if we ignorant all around with the statement made by our providers of water not the average man who said so you all . ..it’s life and then sell our basic need and natural resources . Sad thing is we have plenty of ways to catch water and get water but .. through nasty politics and bad management is the average man as usual paying the price , while big bosses and politicians associated with Wasco getting rich killing life lol ..so just saying if we have to think like you all that is . I guess blue waters and cruise ship it’s a business pitch so must be honored and to us it’s life but always killing us lol 🤣
For two whole months now I cannot find a pound of sugar in the supermarkets –yet all the media people keep their lips zipped! Is it that some people are getting their supply of sugar under the darn table –so they keep their mouths shut!!!??? NOBODY IS SAYING ANYTHING TO THE PUBLIC! Where is the darn sugar the Government told us would have been on the shelves a month ago?
@ Truth Be Told…..the battyman dem in government and elsewhere have all the sugah! Check them for your supply! Calm down it is meant to be a joke! But ont he water note- i would rather goverment zero eveybody waterbill than to be injecting public funds AGAIN into this company. I can see the new management are trying but WASCO’s reputation has gone down the drain over years and years of unreliable service, poor quality of water, lack of public notice on planned shutdowns in the past, billing inconsistencies, inhumane tariffs like the dredging fee etc.
The problem may just be this damn John Compton Dam system which was designed to meet the water needs of the north for 30 years after it was commissioned in the 1990s. Rusty pipes, lost pipes, leaking pipes, non-revenue water, siltation, mismanagement, political interference, nepotism, climate change and ineffective regulation of Wasco (by the NURC) are all factors which have brought us to this point. The demand for water in the north now predictably exceeds the supply so Wasco should re-activate, abstract and treat water from all sources it discontinued when that damn dam was constructed. After 45 years of Independence look at the state of the northern water supply. End of rant.