Dear Editor,

I am writing to express my growing frustration and concern regarding the current water crisis in Old Harbour Glades and the surrounding communities.

As many residents are painfully aware, the water pump serving our area has been damaged and, astonishingly, will not be repaired until June 14. This means that we will have been without a reliable water supply for over a week. While I understand that mechanical failures can happen, the response (or lack thereof) from National Water Commission (NWC) has been nothing short of appalling.

It is beyond comprehension that a government-run agency, tasked with such a critical service, appears to lack spare equipment to promptly address such issues. Are we to believe that a single pump failure is enough to cripple the water supply for an entire community? If so, one must wonder what exactly our tax dollars are being used for. I had hoped that basic infrastructure would be a priority, but it seems I was mistaken.

The situation has been exacerbated by the scarcity of water trucks in the area. As a matter of fact, the process to secure water from these trucks feels more like a bureaucratic nightmare than a service. It was only yesterday that I tried to flag down a passing water truck only to be informed by the driver that my name needed to be on a request list to receive any water. Is this an essential service or an exclusive club?

The health risks associated with this prolonged water outage are mounting. In the current climate, in which sanitation is paramount to public health, the lack of access to water poses serious risks. Families are unable to cook, clean, or maintain basic hygiene. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable and the absence of a reliable water supply places them at significant risk.

Humour is often a coping mechanism in tough times, but there’s little to laugh about here. Perhaps the NWC is waiting for rain to resolve the issue, considering our tax dollars seem to have evaporated. It’s high time NWC steps up and provides a competent and timely solution. The residents of Old Harbour Glades and surrounding areas deserve better. We pay our taxes and our bills, the least we can expect is a consistent and reliable water supply.

I urge the authorities to take immediate action to rectify this situation and implement measures to ensure such a crisis does not reoccur. We need better planning, better response times, and certainly, better customer service.

Sanjay L Fuller

Resident of Old Harbour Glades

sanjayfuller1996@gmail.com