Tower Hill Village residents complain about poor water service; Minister Kevin Bernard says they are working to alleviate the problem ASAP

Published by [email protected] at October 11, 2023

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Posted: Wednesday, October 11, 2023. 6:43 pm CST.

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Breaking Belize News (BBN) has received complaints from residents of Tower Hill Village in the Orange Walk District about their water system. According to the complaints, the residents only had water for a few hours at night over the last two months. They say water comes on after 11:00 p.m. and shuts off at around 4:30 a.m.

Minister of Health and Area Representative Kevin Bernard told BBN that two months is an exaggeration, but that he is working along with the Ministry of Rural Transformation to alleviate the water situation in the Orange Walk village.

“In terms of Tower Hill, tomorrow (Thursday), the Ministry of Rural Transformation is taking two 10,000 gallons Rotoplast [tanks] and will put them in a strategic location so that people can have access to a certain amount of water, drinking water especially,” Bernard said.

Minister Bernard said what has compounded the problem is that Carmelita, which provides water to Tower Hill, is growing at a fast pace and the current water system has reached its capacity.

“They already dug the well in Tower Hill because the problem has been that Carmelita has been supplying Tower Hill and the growth of Carmelita has also caused a strain on the Tower Hill Village. So, we are addressing the concern right now temporarily in order to build something more permanent that will allow them to have at least three big Rotoplast [tanks] on top of a platform that will provide a constant supply of water through the well.”

Bernard said he is working with the Ministry of Rural Transformation to improve the system for both villages.

“They will also have a bowser going into the community in Carmelita [on Thursday] to ensure that people can have access to the tap water in their area,” Bernard said.

Minister Bernard said he is in the process of writing a proposal for the Ministry of Rural Transformation to get a new water system for Tower Hill and a permanent water system expansion for Carmelita.

“It’s a long-haul project but the work is being done to ensure we can start the process of building the temporary water system for Tower Hill.”

Both Carmelita and Tower Hill water systems are managed by the village councils, but Minister Bernard said he believes it’s time that Belize Water Services Limited expands into these rural areas. Bernard said in his estimation, Tower Hill has a population of approximately 700 and Carmelita 3,000.

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