By LEANDRA ROLLE 

Tribune Chief Reporter 

lrrolle@tribunemedia.net

RESIDENTS of Cherokee Sound say they are grappling with the worst water crisis in the community’s history, accusing both the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) and the Abaco Club on Winding Bay of failing to meet long-standing water supply commitments.

For several weeks, households have endured extremely low water pressure, or none at all, for extended periods each day.

The disruption, locals say, is having a serious impact on daily life, leaving some residents unable to bathe, clean, or work as normal.

“The bottom line is this, we was promised back yonder, like 30,000 gallons of water per day. We ain’t get that in the last six to eight weeks,” said Veanie Roberts, 63, a lifelong resident.

Under an agreement with WSC, the Abaco Club, a high-end private residential development, is meant to provide about 30,000 gallons of water per day to Cherokee Sound. However, residents allege this commitment has never been consistently met.

Mrs Roberts claimed the Abaco Club prioritises its clients, pointing to ongoing construction and the proliferation of large private pools within the development.

“Up there to the club, there is continual people building houses, so that’s more water to be sup- plied there, and then a lot of them getting these big pools in the yard, so it’s almost like Winding Bay is not making enough water to take care of everybody,” she said.

The situation reportedly worsened after one of WSC’s pumps burned out, reducing the volume of water supplied to the Abaco Club’s osmosis system and, in turn, to Cherokee residents.

The impact is far-reaching. Some residents say they are arriving late to work due to a lack of water at home. Women accustomed to doing laundry in a few hours now find the chore taking an entire day.

Business owners have raised serious concerns about fire safety, warning that Cherokee’s fire trucks are effectively useless without a steady water supply.

Mrs Roberts said that while a few households are managing with private pumps and tanks, the majority of residents are not so fortunate.

“I feel so sorry for them because we have some old people who live here who

don’t have water most of the day,” she said. “I know no matter what we go through with in life, we always will have problems, and I understand that, but, but to me, this has gone on long enough, too long.”

Last week, the WSC issued a public notice advising residents to collect water from a tanker parked in the community between noon and 4pm, a move that many found insulting.

Township Chairwoman Jacqueline Estevez told The Tribune that she has escalated the issue to the central government and was assured that a resolution is in progress.

“I feel the pain of our residents and agree that if it continues, it will have a negative impact for the township,” she said.

WSC officials confirmed that replacement parts for damaged pumping equipment had been ordered from Germany and are expected to fully restore service upon installation.

In a statement to The Tribune, the corporation acknowledged that the community has experienced “intermittent supply” over the past two and a half weeks due to “mechanical issues affecting the pumping equipment.”

“As part of our response efforts, the Corporation provided tankered water to the community on two separate occasions to augment the overall supply during the interruption,” the statement read.

“A replacement motor was installed on July 5; however, it malfunctioned on July 16,” she said, adding that a new pump and a replacement motor were delivered on Sunday and installed.