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Posted By: GwenA Lack of water pressure - 09/21/10 09:21 PM
This has been going on for a couple of days, and I can't believe it is only at my house. Last time this was as bad as it is now, was Easter Holiday.
We just got a report that our water company is making big profits.
If we aren't getting good water pressure, and the company is making big profits, they obviously don't know what are the consumer requirements.
The water needs to have enough pressure to rise to two, or even three stories of a building. And it needs to do it when there are visitors for a holiday, or TOURISTS, in town. What will be happening during high season? Or are we just being manipulated by our water company for their profits?
Are they just making money? Or are they providing proper service?
If our water company is making profits, and not providing enough water, something needs to be changed. Are you hearing Town Council?
Posted By: SP Daily Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/21/10 09:57 PM
Third world livin'. Get a storage tank and pressure pump..you will always have water...until the power goes out. Then you'll need a generator.
Gotta be self-reliant.
Posted By: GwenA Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/21/10 10:31 PM
Yes, Jesse, no problem. We have a cistern, pressure pump, filters, etc.
But, don't you get the point? Is this third world incapacity, or third world incompetence, or third world corruption? Wouldn't you like to know? I can camp out with the best of them, but I don't like some entity taking advantage of me, or you. And, thanks for not adding the requisite....poor Gwen.
Posted By: SP Daily Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/21/10 10:58 PM
Sorry, I forgot.
You should call and speak with the BWS guys. They can explain the problems and limitations that they are dealing with.
Posted By: GwenA Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/21/10 11:21 PM
Sorry you forgot, it's more like, sorry everybody forgot. Dave offered a long time ago to help any industrial concern help with maintenance and operations, for free! He even offered to help them.
They don't want to be helped. They don't think they need to be helped.
Dave, and his company, have pledged to help third world Countries, but the locals don't want the help.
We have both submitted formal letters of introduction to Belize to offer our services.
Don't think we are complaining, without offering to help.
Posted By: SP Daily Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/21/10 11:36 PM
But have you bothered to ask what the problem is? Or would you rather just bitch?
Posted By: GwenA Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/21/10 11:41 PM
Actually,Dave knows the problem. So, I know you love the word bitch. But, it doesn't apply to me or us. Good try.
Posted By: SP Daily Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/21/10 11:47 PM
There is more than one problem....outside the capability of BWS to repair. The supplier is under contract to provide an amount of water which BWS is then to distribute. If the supplier fails to keep up then BWS is under orders to restrict the output flow so as to maintain a sufficient emergency supply in their 1,000,000 gallon storage/pressure tank.
That is often the reason that they are forced to restrict the output pressure.
Posted By: GwenA Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 12:15 AM
As I said before, Dave knows how to deal with complex industrial organizations. If you somehow want to twist me saying "dave (or I)knowing the problem as, there being one problem, as, we don't know it is complex...try again.
Jesse, don't you understand, the Ambergris Caye Water Plant, is nothing, compared to the tough industrial entities, my husband, and his company deals with? He has offered. It isn't rocket science, it is complicated. Dave deals with very complicated businesses, plants, and countries. Why are you acting in this manor? You have never worked in the technical world we are talking about. You do real estate. Have you ever known experts that fix problem utilities? Dave does it every week, 52 weeks a year. Give it up!
Posted By: SP Daily Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 12:38 AM
Been involved with this since day one about 16 years ago when it was first installed. The problems vary but are never solved.
Too bad expert Dave doesn't do anything about it.
Posted By: GwenA Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 01:30 AM
You are now being obstreperous, as I told you, the locals will not accept his help. They are making money out of the current situation. Wouldn't you like to know why? If they are making a profit, they will not benefit from creating ways to deliver better services or respond to complaints. If the tank is full, and the pressurization components are working, we should be getting more water at good pressure, 24/7, and we are not. Why demean the fact that Dave is an expert at this, and that, you believe he hasn't done enough to help. Happy Belize Independence Day, independence doesn't mean a willingness to improve things. It just means you can do what you want.
If I, or my husband offer help, in changing organizations, and Organizatns refuse, don't you thinkk they might have a reason to keep things the way they are?
Posted By: SP Daily Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 01:35 AM
You are mis-stating the situation. The privately-owned water production company headquartered in Cayman is the one claiming to make a profit. BWS is an employee-owned company which is the old government organization WASA. It is highly regulated by the Belize Government PUC.
If you claim misdeeds by BWS you should submit your facts to the PUC
Posted By: GwenA Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 01:45 AM
Now you are just making subterfuges and excuses. As I said before, there is no reason why, especially during slow season we shouldn't have best water pressure and best water availability. If at any time, we can't, it should be like power. We should get an announcement, why there is low pressure, and when.
If the water should be shut off, we should get an announcement when and why.
Jesse, why are you so defensive about this subject, and not requesting the same utility responsibility, as you might be with the power?
Posted By: Ernie B Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 01:49 AM
Because, hes jesse
Posted By: SP Daily Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 02:00 AM
Because I'm well aware of the system limitations that the staff has to work with. They have no say in improving that. You should be castigating government.
Posted By: Ernie B Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 02:08 AM
"castigation" ????????
Posted By: GwenA Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 02:09 AM
I should be castigation government? Have another drink, Jesse? As far as limitations, it's an excuse. Give it up. Oh, I saw Jesse changed castigation to castigating. Well I'm not castigating anyone, I am exhorting...those to do better
Posted By: SP Daily Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 02:13 AM
Another arrogant gringa with a bad attitude
Posted By: GwenA Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 02:27 AM
No Jesse, not as arrogant as you think. Many third world countries run their basic human services. Considering how young this country is, any service is subject to imperfections. I always love in Lawrence of Arabia, after the Bedu took Damascus, how nobody could run the power company, water, etc.
What might be arrogant, but isn't, nobody wants to hold anybody up to any standards. I've travelled, and worked in third world countries, I think you are only a pretender to that. What I have seen amongst the successful, is they aspire to first world infrastructure and utilities. Stop making excuses and let Belize rise to the situation, occasion, and desire.
Posted By: GwenA Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 03:21 AM
Oh, now that I understand how locals use "gringa", I'm not that either. I never minded the "North of the Border" term gringo. But knowing that gringo is some scammer trying to get something...money, land, influence, from this country, people, or tourists; I don't even come close to that. I live on my lot, our money comes from elsewhere, and all of our living here pays, and spends money in Belize...to individuals, services, and the Government. And we don't get anything we don't pay for. I think that is quite humble. So, how are we gringos, with bad attitudes?
Posted By: Timmy Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 06:45 AM
It is better reading Gwens rants than listening to those old Brit soaps on Radio Belize. Since Dave can't type maybe he should go down to the water folks and MAKE friends explain his credentials and that he works for free. After they quiz his knowledge and his expert status is confirmed; I am sure they will give him some tools to get busy. If he wants to be another bossman and drags gwen along to insult everyone they may choose to live with low pressure instead of dealing with the high pressure of yet another " Hi, I'm a gringa and I've come to tell you , I shall tell you all. My pardon to Eliot. Better yet, Dave should go speak with each member of town council and explain why he we are so lucky to have a professionally trained technical consultant who will gladly give his time, money and knowledge to help out his adopted homeplace. Progress???Well, before independence we had no runing water,no 24/7 electricity,no air terminal, no paved runway,no library,no TV. Not bad for 29 years in a place that was still called a village and everbody knew all 700 souls. Plus, many other changes. Sounds slike Gwen needs a vacation in Paradise..oops I forgot.
Posted By: TravelinMan1 Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 01:04 PM
First of all the town has nothing to do with the water. Secondly for the $200.00 USD or so we/you pay a year for property taxes we really don't have much to complain about. Any tourist related business that relies solely on BEL, BTL and BWS is certainly not going to be a popular facility for the long term. Are there problems here? Sure there are but on any given day even without city water, Electricity, Cable and Telephone I would take a day here on the island over a day under the same circumstances in New York city.

By the way I have a pressure tank and pump and did not even know that there was a problem and when cable goes out I watch satellite TV and when electricity goes out I run on solar and generator. The reason is that I expect these types of problems so when they occur I am not surprised or upset by it.

On a parting note I wold suggest a re-read (if you have already read it) of "Don't Stop the Carnival" as a refresher of what to expect.
Posted By: Moby Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 04:46 PM
If the government has nothing to do with public utilities what is the relevance of low property taxes as apparently they wouldn't have any bearing on the level of services even if they were 10 times as much?

Customers pay BEL, BTL and BWS through the nose and nowhere in any of the contract have I seen a clause that said that in exchange for payment I'm going to be receiving a half-baked service.
Posted By: Diane Campbell Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/22/10 06:52 PM
Could you please stop fighting?

There are multiple issues here - including bad manners and Murphy's Law.

Please - please - count your blessings. You could have been born poor in Pakistan - or worse.






Posted By: Timmy Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/23/10 08:46 AM
"Don't stop the Carnival" was a great book to prepare for the inexplicable. I knew I went local after my little seagull motor crapped out and I floated to the beach about 15 mile north.Had my pack of cigs(Independence)made a fire with my lighter, caught a reef trout, got a conch, got my green coconuts and had heart of palm. Slept under a night sky that was bright with starshine. A few pesky scorpions but no stings. In the morning looked over my motor and saw the pipe to circulate the water lost a screw and had slipped overheating the cylinder. Needing a fix I walk the shore found a lightbulb washed up in the seaweed. Took the innards out and juryrigged a fixed fired it up and had luch with the Kruegers at ElPescador. Let us be thankful for our small blessings.
Posted By: Timmy Re: Lack of water pressure - 09/23/10 08:51 AM
Why I knew I went local is I never got a screw to properly fix that motor for nearly a year after I noticed the rusted parts barely hanging on to the aluminum pipe. I had completely forgotten about my "fix". Miss that motor and a cold Tiger beer.
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