Gov’t shouldn’t blame others for water crisis, says Walwyn
It is long past the time for the government to move on from the proverbial blame game and take full responsibility for the territory’s water woes, Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn has urged.
Walwyn made the argument after reporters questioned opposition members over whether previous governments contributed to the constant disruptions facing the water distribution network and what role some of them may have had as former lawmakers in making the system worse.
It was suggested that the terms of the current water distributor’s contract were changed favourably years ago, despite a record of poor performance.
But Walwyn, while arguing that the issue was largely academic, pointed out that contracts are changed across governments for varying reasons and said this could not have been the root of the problem.
“The point of the matter that we have to get to know is that we have a water crisis in the country. The current government has been here for the last five years. When you serve two terms, if you serve five years, you own the problem,” Walwyn said.
He added: “You don’t get to look back in the rearview mirror and say that it was the next guy. You campaigned for the next guy’s job and you got the job. Now is your chance now to fix whatever problems there are. From my little understanding, there is not a water production problem in the country.”
As water continues to be produced, the lawmaker argued that the real challenge facing the territory is its ability to receive and distribute the water.
He also accused the government of committing a monumental blunder in refusing a $426 million dollar UK loan guarantee offer after it gained power in 2019 when Walwyn’s National Democratic Party (NDP) was voted out of office.
“A lot of the issues that we currently face in this country – from water to roads to ports – would have been fixed if they had sat down, read through those documents properly like we (the NDP) did, and come to an agreement with the British government to borrow cheap money,” he said.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley confirmed previously that the UK loan guarantee is now off the table.
Walwyn suggested that the constant deflection about who bears responsibility for the problem does not fix the issue and residents will continue to suffer in the interim.
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Kye not smart at all bill a house on P Lake land if you don’t get a next turm she is going to put u out u guys have people starving kye u come from nothing we the people give you a chance now u walking on us
There is an old saying , you don’t diamonds to pigs / he never expect mto be a government minister, so bthe word ( honorable ) went straight to his head / ( sadly ) we are experiencing the side effects of his incompetence and the others like him who is just doing an acting job and trying to make it look real / am supprised he has not blamed the UK , like the canary on the yello site
is the BVI’s only hope for more potable water.
Appears the BVI is returning to the 70’s when the only source of potable water was rain, a few wells and maybe some distilled water from the electric power plant.
Arrested and charged for a wall corruption
For the past 48 hours the water pressure has been sky high. Several areas along the public roads have started to leak many homes have also begun to have problems caused by the high water pressure. There needs to be more collaboration and cooperation between the desalination plants and the water and sewerage department. Water and Sewerage is constantly blamed for the water woes but I’m of the opinion that the desalination plants are part of the problem regarding the water pressure in the distribution system which is very often responsible for the many leaks throughout the territory. The minister in charge needs to get to the bottom of this. Is the system being purposely overloaded to run up high cost to the government for water production which then goes to waste because of leakage caused by high pressure. Struggling consumers should not be faced with pluming maintenance because of this situation which can be regulated at the source. This is disgusting and unfair.
I want dis rain flood out the place them guys not doing anything for the country i want GOD make it hard for them to go . Camel face home living good of tax money
As far as I know Myron did not take or embezzle any wall and take it home, he merely tried to empower as much as he could with employment that fed families paid house rent and school fees, it prospered the island economy, now how you not considering slowandie $250k for people to gyrate in party, which one benifit the country more? The wall is there to help keep out drugs and shooting from ELSH school.
I live in the Shepard hill area and I get water for a few hours in one day out of a month which makes no sense at all.
We are suffering at Shepard Hill. How are we to practice proper hygiene if we cant get water? Every time is a burst pipe.