BWSL Warns of Fake Notice on Water Service Interruptions due to Hurricane Beryl

Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL) is cautioning its customers that a fraudulent notice is being circulated regarding the interruption of service due to Hurricane Beryl. The notice warns that water service will be cut eight hours before the hurricane is expected to make landfall. Haydon Brown, Chief Human Resources Officer, BWSL says that the company has not been able to ascertain the origin of the notice but stressed that it was unofficial and inaccurate. He added that the company will have to interrupt service at some point during the storm.

Hayden Brown, Chief Human Resources Officer, BWSL: “When it comes to a hurricane, I believe that we must appreciate that one of the things we are mindful of is a lot of our assets, at least those that serve our customers, is above ground. And therefore, once, you know, with the wind and the debris, that kind of thing, meters, possible potential for meters to be broken, that kind of thing. And so it’s advisable that once a storm is upon us, that we turn off our water system. Just so for two reasons, so that there isn’t wastage. It’s not intended not to serve our customers, but we do make preparatory work so that people can have a little storage that kind of thing to pass through the storm. And then once the storm has been passed then we then turn on backward system. Of course we turn it off at some point because as I mentioned earlier we don’t want to have that wastage. We do have backup storage which would serve in those kind of situation but we have to be mindful that we don’t want to have our storage just depleted with water running out there once services are broken all over the city, wherever, in whichever local, you know, this may happen.”

Brown said that BWSL will be disseminating updates through its website and social media pages and urged the public to monitor these sources for official information.