Region 8 residents complain of substandard work contractor did on $5.1M water well

Nov 20, 2020 News

Mayor of Mahdia, David Adams.

Kaieteur News – Residents of the El Paso village in Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) have been complaining about substandard work done on a water well valued at $5.1 million by a contractor employed through the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).
Residents reached out to this publication, lamenting that the water well was only partially serviceable as it was only providing a school within the community with water and not the rest of the community. The enraged residents stated that the situation is a “total disrespect” to their hard-earned dollars and called for a faster resolution to be made.
Kaieteur News contacted the Mayor of Mahdia, David Adams, who said that the Mahdia Mayor and Town Council had contributed some $4.5 million to the project. He went on to say that the Council had no superintendence over the project as the money was given to GWI, who contracted a Brazilian company, Fox Services and Trading, who was responsible for drilling the well. The well was supposed to be dug at 150 feet; however, the contractor only drilled it at 90 feet.
Adams stated that he was told that they encountered rocks while drilling the hole, making it impossible for the well to extend beyond 90 feet.
In addition to that, they had also encountered equipment issues and had to avert the project to go back to GWI and have the equipment fixed. According to Adams, the equipment was fixed, but, they were deployed to construct another well in Port Kaituma, in Region One (Barima-Waini).
The works expected to be done there will last for three weeks, hindering the continuation of the project in El Paso.
Kaieteur News understands that since the well cannot service the entire community, it will be used solely for the supply of water to the school, which it is servicing currently. But, in light of that, they will have to construct another water well in another part of the community, to provide all of the residents with potable water.
This will require additional funding, but the Town Council has expressed that they do not have any more money to disperse on the project. It was stated that GWI is currently seeking additional funding for the other well.
Addressing the same issue, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal told another section of the media, “GWI has not accepted the well nor has made any payment since the well is intended to be drilled to a maximum depth of 150 meters. After the well is completed, GWI will be working with the Town Council to connect it to the system.”
Residents have maintained that they deserve potable water after waiting for such a long time, and another long wait on the next well cannot be accepted.