Nelson Street residents: 'Water is life, we need it'

TWENTY-FOUR apartments at 66-68 Nelson Street, Port of Spain, have been without running water since April.

Tenants of the second floor spoke with Newsday, saying they have had to fill buckets and barrels elsewhere on the compound, or get water from friends and family who live elsewhere. They said it is the first time they have experienced such an issue.

Several tenants have regularly contacted both the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) about the matter, but in vain.

One tenant said, "What we heard from HDC is that they are trying to get in contact with WASA, but they are ignoring the situation. HDC said they are ready to do what they have to do, but the line, apparently, they cannot interfere with it. They have to wait for WASA, who needs to be present for them to do their job.

"We don't know what to do again. People have gone to HDC's head office and all they do is 'take note of it,' and nothing is being done."

Another said, "There are elderly people who cannot lift up water. Yesterday, there was an old lady struggling to lift up a bucket of water and she is in her 70s.

"A gentleman downstairs is in a wheelchair, he has no legs and his daughter is pregnant so she cannot lift anything. They have to be asking people if they could bring them a bucket of water."

One woman said she went to WASA's office at Kew Place, Port of Spain, last Friday to file a complaint and was told it was the first time it was being reported to the authority.

She said, "They said no complaints came in about any buildings there, so I don't know if anyone reported to another WASA department. But HDC is saying they talked to WASA and that it is their problem. They say the lines are corroded."

A representative from WASA visited the apartment complex on July 18 but fled after witnessing an altercation.

"There was a little incident with some boys and the police were around. The man jumped in his car and he went. It didn't have anything to do with him: police went to arrest a guy. He got scared. We could understand that, but HDC said they couldn't get in contact with him after that," a tenant said.

They believe if this were to occur in another area, it would have been rectified already.

"At the end of the day, whether it's the ghetto, whether it's aristocrat area, water is life and we need it, we are human beings. I know the area is a hotspot area, but they can get police and come. When TTEC (TT Electricity Commission) has anything to do, they bring the police so WASA could do the same."

Newsday contacted WASA's corporate communications senior manager Daniel Plenty, who said the fact that other tenants on the compound have access to running water should indicate WASA is not to blame, as water is being supplied.

He said, "I would like you to focus your attention to HDC on this matter. We are not in a position to go into HDC developments and do any work outside of HDC giving us the permission to do so and making the necessary arrangements for us to do so. If there is a problem with those buildings and WASA is to be involved, there's a procedure that needs to be followed for us to be notified.

"I think you definitely need to focus your attention to HDC."

Apart from the water issue, some say their buildings have broken roofs and windows that are yet to be fixed.

Newsday also contacted Dike Noel, senior manager of corporate communications at the HDC, who said he will follow up on the issue with the corporation's estate management department.