Water Shortage on La Isla Cariñosa, BWS Explains Why

Residents of Caye Caulker continue to experience an extended water shortage, following a shutdown of the island’s reverse osmosis water treatment plant on Sunday morning.  As a result, the hundred and fifty thousand gallon water storage has been depleted.  At around eleven a.m., a main drive shaft which had only just been installed on Christmas Eve gave way.  According to Belize Water Services Limited, a previous drive shaft had been in use for the past eight years before it wore out.  At the time of replacing the piece of equipment, the BWS team realized that the new shaft was slightly out of place and likely to fail.  Despite ordering new replacement shafts, the existing one broke.  The failure comes at the worst possible time since it is the height of the tourist season.  BWS is dispatching twelve thousand gallons of water via water trucks on barges to provide customers on the island with water.  In a release issued by the company, it says that the limited supply of water will be rationed to customers in coordination with the Caye Caulker Village Council.  A team of technicians is on the island to install a customized shaft.  According to Operations Officer, Dave Pascascio, water will continue to be shipped to the island to fill the reservoir notwithstanding the pending repair.