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Desperate for water, man turns to cardboard, markers
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Posted on Aug 29 2008
Koblerville resident David Lizama says he hopes a little creativity will get the attention of lawmakers and officials from the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.
Lizama put up a cardboard sign in his front yard yesterday reading “Pls. CUC give us water!” after, he said, living without water from Saturday until early yesterday morning.
“I kind of feel frustrated with CUC,” he said.
He plans on keeping the sign out for a month or two, he said.
“So lawmakers can see what we’re going through,” he added. “They need to come out to the public to understand.”
Power has been sporadic, but even when there is power, water is not a guarantee, he said.
“If the power is on…at least give us a couple hours of power,” he said.
Bruce Megarr, CUC Water and Sewer Division deputy director, said the constant power outages wreak havoc on the water pumps and pipes.
“When the power goes out, it causes damages to the pump,” he said. “We did experience that. We believe all of them are back up, but I’m not 100 percent sure. We will by end of the day.”
In the southern part of the island, most of the water wells are tied to one electrical grid, so when it goes down 50 percent of the supply is lost, Megarr said. The water division is working closely with the power side to minimize the outages as much as possible, he added. Also, the division is working to replace transformers and balancing the pumps.
“We’re taking aggressive measures,” Megarr added.
Lizama recently bought 5,000 gallons of water to deal with the situation, and he regularly spends $50 to $100 each month on additional water, he said.
Lizama and his wife, Rosie, have also started collecting rainwater.
“Any kind of water supply Mother Nature can give us” we collect, he added.
It’s difficult living with the three to five hour power outages several times a day because it’s uncomfortable and food gets ruined, but it’s bearable, he said.
“What’s hurting us is the water,” he added.
He has told his tenants in his apartment building they shouldn’t use the water to wash clothes, only to flush the toilet, wash dishes and take showers, he said.
Lizama said he thinks the fire department should provide water to the neighborhoods when the power is out.
