NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Central and South Eleuthera MP Hank Johnson said yesterday that his constituents had “every right” to be upset over last week’s water supply disruption.
Johnson told Eyewitness News “they are upset and so am I”.
“My constituents are upset about it and I am upset about what has transpired in this whole ordeal,” he said.
“The Chairman of the Water and Sewerage Corporation and the powers that be have dealt with the matter so I won’t say much more until the proper authorities have spoken. What I can say is my constituents have every right to be upset and so was I. When my constituents are out of the water so am I. When their lights are off so are mine. We will leave it to the authorities to make the right decision,” said Johnson.
Last Friday the WSC obtained a Supreme Court injunction against a reverse osmosis plant operator Aqua Design Bahamas Ltd, asserting that it “deliberately and egregiously” shut off the water supply to the people of Central Eleuthera.
The WSC statement read: “These acts come amid the worst global pandemic in the last 100 years, a pandemic where clean water and the maintenance of good hygiene is paramount. This contract, and several other related contracts, were signed under a previous Administration.
“The water has been turned back on in Central Eleuthera and, given the shutdown, customers (particularly those at higher elevations) will experience low pressure as the distribution system is being pressurized.”
The corporation expressed its apologies to the people of Central Eleuthera for the inconvenience caused by these unfortunate actions.
“WSC will take every action to protect the people of Eleuthera and the Bahamas and their right to have access to water. Even as we face COVID-19, the Corporation has endeavored to continue with regular payments to reverse osmosis providers,” the statement read.
According to the statement, WSC attorneys appeared Supreme Court Justice Indra Charles upon the instructions of WSC Executive Chairman Adrian Gibson to obtain the injunction.
The order was filed on Friday and served upon the company in question, it read.
The Order includes a penal notice which declares that the said company and its agents may be held to be in contempt of court, and may also be imprisoned or fined or have your assets seized, should the Order be disobeyed or breached.
The Supreme Court’s Order directs that the Defendant company is “forthwith compelled to immediately reinstate production and supply of water to the Central Eleuthera Settlements” and to “cease and desist the demobilization process thereunder”.
