Estimate of damaged water systems between EC$1 and EC$1.5 million

Restorative work to the damaged Jennings and Perseverance water systems began this week following last week’s torrential rains.{{more}}

The estimated cost to repair the damaged systems has been put at between EC$1 and $1.5 million, according to Garth Saunders, General Manager at CWSA.

According to Saunders, both systems had been severely impacted as water and debris took away several hundred feet of pipeline.

Over 1,200 feet of pipeline was lost at the Perseverance water system which supplies water to residents from Byera, north to Tourama, and 800 feet at the Jennings system.

That system supplies residents from Colonaire to Diamond.

Damage was also done to the access roads leading to the two water systems, Saunders said.

This is especially the case with the access road to Perseverance where CWSA officials said access bridges were damaged.

At press time, Joan Ryan, Public Relations and Marketing Manager of CWSA, told SEARCHLIGHT that the access road to the Jennings water supply had been cleared but that up until Tuesday, Perseverance was still not accessible, except by foot.

As a result, both systems have been decommissioned, and according to Saunders, it may take as long as two months to have both systems fully operational.

The task of redesigning the pipe’s layout, reconstruction of pipe supports and the clearing and in some instances repair work to access roads and bridges was now the main priority, and according to Saunders, accounted for the time span in which the systems were expected to be restored.

“We will be looking for a sleek design to minimize further potential problems,” Saunders said.

He, however, gave the assurance that all was being done to minimize the effects.

“We have been able to alleviate some of the water shortage,” Saunders told members of the media, saying that CWSA’s engineers have been able to minimize the effects of the outages to affected areas.

A link between the Jennings and the Montreal system was successfully completed, and according to Saunders, water will be supplied to some of the affected areas up to Byera from the Montreal system, which usually supplies the Marriaqua valley and areas up to Belmont.

“Last year we had a drought and the Jennings system was used to supplement the Montreal syste.This year we have a flood and the Jennings system has been impacted, but we can now supply water from Montreal,” the GM explained.

For areas north of Byera, the CWSA has started trucking water and four 800 gallon tanks have been placed in Georgetown.

Saunders added that temporary stand pipes have been placed at strategic locations, including at the Mount Young Bridge, Langley Park School and at the CWSA office at Mount Bentick.

These tanks are also being filled daily, the CWSA official said.

A number of decommissioned systems have also been reinstated to ease the demand for water Saunders said.

Tests and chlorination to the old Perseverance and Greggs systems have been done, although these systems are limited in their capacity.

“But we are still hoping to supply low lying areas of Georgetown,” Saunders told members of the media.

Schools have not been left out, as according to Ryan, the CWSA has been working closely with the Ministry of Education to ensure that there are no interruptions.

Ryan said that seven water tanks had been donated to schools within the affected area and on Tuesday, April 19, a team from the Roads, Buildings and General Services Authority (BRAGSA) was expected to have connected the plumbing. (DD)