A water leak which has been flowing for the past five months has been bringing discomfort to residents and businesses in the Reed Street, The City community.
Dadrina Emmanuel, who operates the Community Education Empowerment and Development (CEED) Centre and shopkeeper Delbra Marville say the situation was affecting their businesses in a very negative way.
Emmanuel recalled that the leak, which is in the section of the road in front of Marville’s shop, use to regularly occur over the years.
“It used to leak and then stop but for the past five months it has been leaking continuously,” she said, pointing out that she had reached out to the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) several times.
“They came two weeks ago and marked out the area and said they were coming back but this has gotten worse,” she added.
Pointing to black water stains and moss on the door and the side of the CEED building, Emmanuel said the water was preventing her from operating as it was flowing outside her door, forcing clients to step into the water to gain access to the building.
For Marville, the situation had become even more dire. Accustomed to displaying produce and other goods in front of her shop, Marville said she could no longer do so. But even more distressing to her was that passing vehicles were splashing the muddy water into the shop and customers were either forced to jump over it or walk through it.
“People passing and getting splatter up and the dirty water splashing into the
shop. I does have to be mopping every minute. We does got people sliding down because there is a lot of moss caused by the water,” she cried, adding that because of the leak the gutter always has water in it.
The women said the situation had also become dangerous for the neighbourhood children who played in the street and even passersby who were forced to dash out of the road when vehicles were driving by.
Apart from the water leak, the residents said it had exposed the need for speed bumps through the one-way street.
“The vehicles does drive through here too fast,” Emmanuel said as she watched the vehicles speed through the dirty water unawares of the danger they had created.
This column has drawn the matter to the attention of the BWA’s marketing officer Yvette Harris-Griffith who said it would be investigated. It is understood that the leak was repaired yesterday. (MB)
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