‘Most of our systems are now up and running’ – DOWASCO GM Bernard Etinoffe

Bermard Etinoffe, General Manager of DOWASCO

General Manager of the Dominica Water and Sewerage Company (DOWASCO), Bernard Etinoffe has said that most of its water systems on the island have been restored.

He made the announcement during an interview with Dominica News Online (DNO) on Wednesday.

A Trough System which affected the island on Sunday caused tremendous damage to the water systems in Dominica resulting in the disruption of almost all the water systems.

“I am pleased to report that most of our systems are now up and running; we have our major water system which is Water Area 1 from the Springfield intake which serves Mero to Castle Comfort, that is up and running. With the exception of a few areas, the higher areas, most people have water,” he said.

He said Castle Comfort is currently being served from the Giraudel water system.

However, according to the DOWASCO official, the major challenge still remains the Coulibishtrie, Morne Rachette and Grand Savanne area.

“We are trying to access the Coulibistrie River now so that we can begin to pump some water in those areas, hopefully a little later today,” he revealed.

He said there are still a few high-lying areas, for example Bellevue Rawle which may experience some challenges from time-to-time as the system builds up, “but we are pleased to report that we are doing pretty well in that regard at this point.”

Etinoffe offered an apology on behalf of DOWASCO to its customers for the unscheduled interruption to their water supply.

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14 Comments

  1. Observer
    October 14, 2021

    This situation is more than embarrassing now. Dominicans should be demanding the resignation of this ‘Nice Guy’. A trough, not even a tropical storm and all systems are down for days. DOWASCO must understand that you cannot keep doing the same thing and expect different results. This is utter nonesense now. Let’s get serious man because we are talking about climate change and building resilience. The weather patterns are predicted to worsen.
    1. So everytime rains falls heavily, pipes and intakes are destroyed. What are the alternatives?
    2. Are there other countries in the world with similar topography and rainfall as us?
    3. How have they solved their problems and can we get their engineers to help us redesign?
    4. What about tapping into our groundwater. Our water table is close to the surface and cannot be affected by storms? It cost more to repair our systems every year than to overhaul the entire water system.
    It’s time to get serious man. We are living in the 21st…

  2. Ransom
    October 14, 2021

    It’s Thursday 4pm I’m sitting home no water in my area in grandbay It’s been 4 plus day without any water to cook wash take a bath or flush the toilet

  3. Loyal Customer
    October 14, 2021

    Just to let the manager know Wallhouse is still without water. 5 days now!
    Most of the comments are right. All other utilities have upgraded and moved into the 21st. Century.
    Dowasco is still lagging very far behind. We need reservoirs. Taking water from rivers is outdated, because when you get rain the rivers flood and the intakes are unusable. Here in Dominica this happens on a far too regular basis. This needs a big investment from the finance minister to make the upgrades possible.
    If reservoirs were to be built they could be a great tourist attraction, sailing, fishing (course fishing, unfortunately you have to throw them back once caught and weighed), and water sports.

  4. Water sustains life
    October 14, 2021

    Thanks, Mr. Ettinoffe! We appreciate the efforts made to restore a potable water supply to most of the island so far, after last weekend’s rain deluge.

  5. Customer
    October 14, 2021

    Good to hear, happy for all customers who can enjoy fresh running water at their homes everyday. For some residents at Bellevue Chopin, particularly the Magua Estate area, it is not this way and we have complained several times to DOWASCO. You get up in the mornings no water, you return from work no water, you go to bed no water. The water comes very very late at nights or early next morning and by 6 a.m it is gone again. Please DOWASCO, do something to improve this water system which has been bad for years now and has gotten much worse after the village extension.

  6. Roger Burnett
    October 14, 2021

    Admin. The caption under the photograph reads, “Etinoffe said the company’s revenue is now zero” but this is not mentioned in the article.

    Heavy rainfall is to be expected in Dominica and should have been taken into account, and the intakes designed accordingly, in the years when there was revenue.

    ADMIN: Thank you for pointing that out. That caption has been updated.

  7. RandyX
    October 14, 2021

    ‘Most’ of the systems are now up and running… You see that’s all Dominicans get from this man that presides over the most inefficient and generally useless company. Why doesn’t the men give its customers solid figures instead of a super vague statements. How comes that in the 21st century every time a drop of rain falls, Dominicas consumers are without water for days and sometimes for weeks on end?? By contrast, when it comes to chasing up bills, this company is ultra efficient and cuts its customers off. Why doesn’t this man offer its long suffering customers a substantial discount instead?

    • Gary
      October 14, 2021

      The is something called gratitude, it does not seem that you know such thing, that is all you are good at, yapping yapping, yapping, the crudest form of communicating. What is vague about the information given by Mr Bernard Etinoffe, let us assume the manager said that 5000 customers are not receiving water, would this make you happy and prove the Manager is competent, lol. When you say quote,”How comes that in the 21st century every time a drop of rain falls, Dominican consumers are without water for days and sometimes for weeks on end??” Wow, the rain that fell a couple of days ago was that a drop of rain.

      As to your question, Why doesn’t this man offer its long-suffering customers a substantial discount instead.” What is a substantial discount, guess you think that the infrastructure built to provide water to Dominicans maintain and repairs its own self by magic, lol. You need to stop your silly yapping and show gratitude.

      • Calibishie
        October 14, 2021

        Gratitude for what? For this company to inconvenience me and my guests on an ongoing basis? You have one of your red screws loose. Why don’t you give me your name in order for me to pay you a visit and replace that missing screw with a somewhat neutral one? Or are you Skerrits boyfriend by any chance?

        • Gary
          October 14, 2021

          An angry person is never a wise person, you have just displayed this with your comment,lol. Do you really understand how a utility company such as DOWASCO that operates in relation to unseen disasters caused by the weather, the primary cause of the inconvenience, you fail to understand. I would understand that you complained about their Customer Service. I hope that your guest are always satisfied by your customer service or innovation to make up for the incurred inconvenience by DOWASCO which you are angry about, that should be your focus not me.

          Are you made of screws, of course not. I’m made of the same material as you. There is one thing that differentiates us, our thinking, so why make such nonsensical threats of replacing screws in me which you would not find, lol. As to your last question to me, plumb the depths of your mind, and you will see
          what anger has done to you.

          • RandyX
            October 15, 2021

            Pointless even talking to a buffoon like you because you see our island, Dowasco, those useless ministers and that corrupt PM exclusively through those red glasses. If only you had just a little bit of that grey stuff between your ears, surely by now you would have questioned what’s going on in DA rather then singing the praises of Skerrit, Etinoffe, etc. on each and every occasion. In your own words, any idea what might have happened to that missing CBI money or the missing millions from PetroCaribe that Venezuela subsequently had to write off? Come on, give us your version!

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • Ibo France
            October 16, 2021

            Gary is just a simpleton who takes everything literally.Figurative speech baffles him. Reason why he cannot appreciate nor comprehend the metaphoric reference about the screw.

            Instead of embarrassing yourself with you long, pedestrian, meandering and supercilious statements go and put your head in a book.

            He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is IGNORANT, teach him.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
        • Garçon
          October 14, 2021

          You have a choice. Cut off from Dowasco’s system and establish your own. I hate to hear you all talk rubbish. Their service leaves much to be desired, and they are all controlled by government and can’t stand on their own no matter how you see them in public showing off, but they provide a service which all of you in Dominica depend on. Appreciate because you all pay next to nothing for water straight into your houses.

      • Ibo France
        October 14, 2021

        Gary, too many times your comments are vacuous as to try to defend the indefensible.

        The criticisms leveled against DAWASCO are legitimate. Like everything else which is under the purview of the government, the management of these entities leaves much to be desired, especially DAWASCO. The supply of portable water is interrupted much too frequently. This is unacceptable.

        DAWASCO should have had mechanisms in place at this time to mitigate against interruption every time there is a persistent drizzle. This shows gross incompetence by management. This is expected under Skerrit’s ineptitude. There are too many square pegs in round holes.

        In Skerrit’s Dominica, permanent secretaries, directors and general managers serving in the public service are placed in these positions for their unquestionabe loyalty and not their competence or qualifications.

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