The Tribune

By Ivoine Ingraham

I was born in the early fifties. We didn't have much, but we did the best with what we had. My mother made $40 per week while raising five of us. We lived in a tiny one-room house. We didn't know we were poor, but we were comfortable because we had nothing to compare it to. We got water from the government pump a block away. On wash day, we had to make several trips back and forth. It was a testament to our resilience, a reminder that even in the face of challenges, we can make the most of what we have.

The landlord rented the house with the full knowledge that there was no potable water or inside bathroom facilities, which was common in many "over the hill" areas where clean water was a luxury. The government, recognising this need, provided faucets in certain areas, including ours, a block away.

Times have passed, and in many scenarios, we have moved on, but many stayed, fully embracing free water with no intentions of leaving.

Unscrupulous landlords continue to collect rent and even have protection from not supplying basic needs. But who is policing this vexing problem?

The exploitation of government by many is taking a toll on us, who pay our way and accept that for a country to function and flourish, the people must contribute equally. We, as taxpayers, have a significant role to play in addressing these issues. It's crucial that we are aware of these issues and take responsibility for addressing them, as it's our collective action that can bring about change.

Recently, I had to slow down while driving through an inner-city street because there was a lake from water waste on the ground. By then, thousands of gallons had been lost, and someone had to pay for that. The lack of urgency to repair the damage was inconceivable.

The conversation that needs to be had every day is about how long it will take for this to become a thing of the past. When will there be regulations that hold the landlord's feet to the fire for not providing bathrooms with running water in every rental? Why has this been allowed to continue all of these years? We need a structured system to ensure these basic living conditions are met. But with the proper regulations and enforcement, there is hope for change. This hope is what keeps us pushing for a better future.

The tenant suffers, but the country should not have to bear the cost of providing water from the state.

In the inner city, roadside reciprocals are abused wantonly without regard or conscience because they are free to the user but not to the population paying through their noses for the wastage.

People from other lands get away with living free. They have become like leeches preying on the slackness that persists.

This is a vexing issue, and an agency should be developed to assess where the roadside pumps are and where the rental units are without running water. Which ministry is responsible for remedying this age-old practice? The agency should also force the landlord to adhere to regulations if there are any in place to insist they provide basic living conditions for tenants or shut them down until they comply.

Of course, many would find a way to game the system, like using a drop cord from house to house rather than going through the proper channels. Service should be withdrawn from anyone who steals power, just as those who rent without running water inside.

The Bahamas has survived with someone somewhere taking a shortcut, referring to the systemic issues, such as lack of proper regulations and enforcement, that have allowed these problems to persist. It is high time that the law steps in and exerts itself to address these issues.

An agency that operates like the price control must be commissioned to stamp out the proliferation of water.

Let us face reality: the pump is used not only by the have-nots but also by people who can afford it but choose to use the system because it is their nature always to get something for nothing.

Let's face reality: there are too many cracks for people to live free while spending lavishly on trivialities. The original reason for providing water from government must come to an end. This is the twenty-first century, not the 50s, when I was a boy.