BEETHAM resident Renee John is calling on WASA to repair a leak that has been a problem for almost two years. The leak originates from one of WASA's main pipes that runs through her yard.
She hopes the problem can be addressed before Christmas as the family is hoping to grieve comfortably this season after losing a close relative last week.
John complained to Newsday that her home is now full of black muld and her floor is constantly wet causing wooden doors and cupboards to rot.
She spoke to Newsday on Wednesday at her 13th Street, Beetham Gardens, home. There, she pointed out a hole in the ground inside her kitchen and another breech at the entrance of the yard from which water flows from the day and heavily at night.
After two minutes, Newsday was forced to step outside to finish the interview as the moldy air inside the home had made it difficult to breathe.
John said she had exhausted all the channels in an attempt to have the issues rectified but, over two years later, the family is struggling more each day to cope with the conditions of their rooms and the strong murky stench in every concern.
She unlocked her phone and opened a series of messages sent to WASA’s WhatsApp hotline as far back as two weeks ago complaining about the damaged pipe.
Before that, she made complaints at WASA’s office and even tried calling the authority.
“When this problem surfaced two years ago they took a long time to come. When they sent workers, the men were very unprofessional and kept complaining that they didn’t want to work because it was Friday.
"I didn’t say anything because I was just glad they sent people to fix the problem after I had to go on the media to complain.”
A short while later, another part of the underground pipe was damaged and now the water runs through the house constantly.
John said she has been using incense and spraying air fresheners hoping the unpleasant scent would not affect her sixty-year-old mother, pregnant sister and three other children – including an autistic child – living in the house.
[caption id="attachment_992330" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Appliances are rusted and wooden cupboards have begun to rot at the 13th Street, Beetham Gardens home of Renee John thanks to a nearby leaking WASA pipe. Photo by Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
“I just tired and I feel like I’m being victimised because my mother has WASA in court when my brother died after a WASA vehicle hit him over ten years ago. When this first happened, they told my mother to bring receipts and they would compensate. How they want us to find bills of tiles we put down many many years ago?
“We don’t even want no compensation, we will fix what is being damaged. We just want them to fix the pipe.
"I feel like if I don’t bring this public they would not take our situation seriously. We don’t want to lose any more than we already losing.
"I want water to run through my tap and not through my ground.”
WASA communication officer Daniel Plenty and WASA's chairman Ravindra Nanga could not be reached for co
