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Local Items: WEB No water today
Bonaire Talk: Local Items: Archives: Archives 2010: Archives 01-01-10 to 06-30-10: WEB No water today
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bruce Zavon (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #115) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 9:11 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Saturday, water off at 8 am, called WEB and it will be off until 5 for construction work. "It was announced on the radio..." That helps if you listen to the radio all day every day. So what are we supposed to do? Keep full barrels around so we can flush the toilets and rinse dishes? How is it not possible to run a temporary pipe around the construction?

It was the same on 2/5, 2/12, 2/21, no water. Electricity was out 2/14, 3/11 and 3/13. And that's just 2010. Gets a little old...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #873) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 9:38 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yes, it was for several days on the radio and in the news papers ... quite some articles about it also and interviews ....

Big changes are on the way and I guess you will experience it a few more time ...
Begin to end April the electriciy plant in the north will go on the net as will from mid April to mid May the Windmills
The water pipes are renewed along the cost road from before the airport as along the road to Sorobon ... just look .. big grooves in the ground and big pipes all along the roads....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pietri Hausmann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #378) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 10:45 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

small inconvenience for a beautiful life in paradise...... yes ... no water for a few hours is the price of progress i am happy to cope with after months of almost no water pressure and then very brown water when it was available....Brigitte is correct .. it was well covered in the papers and on the radio .. after the many many years of living here i always am "prepared" with extra water etc. in the past we have had incidents of no water and power for days ... this is just another day on Bonaire .... it is a happy free day for me .. no laundry, dishes, cleaning or washing the car .. until tomorrow of course...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Grunt (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1046) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 11:10 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Couple questions

Are the water shutdowns system wide or limited to the southern area?

Are the electrical shutdowns system wide as well?

Of interest as I will be there in April/May

Thanks

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #874) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 11:43 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

The water today is south of airport .... next week I dont know , I will pay attention to radio and newspapers ....
Electricity shut downs will be announced also, so again, pay attention to radio and newspapers ...
We did knew it Thursday and informed our guests ... in English ... and still some came to the office "we have no water ..."
I am just glad they do it, as Pietri said, the water pressure was so low and the water so often brown ...... I cant see how else they can change pipes ...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bruce Zavon (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #116) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 1:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Brigette and Pietri. Drove around a bit today and yes they are laying major pipe along part of Windsock and along part of the Sorobon Road (right in front of Brigette I assume.) Looks like it will be a few weeks of this if they do it in 100 meter stages; is that what they say in the paper? I don't know which paper to check, so if you could pass along the news that would be much appreciated!

But I still don't see why they couldn't dig the trench, lay the new pipes, complete the main connections and then have a one time shut off, connecting the old main to the new main and to the existing stubs to each property, and turn it back on. Maybe someone who knows this stuff could chime in? I'm a terrible plumber.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bruce Zavon (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #117) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 1:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Grunt:

I think some electrical is announced in advance, like when they were testing the new diesel generators, and the whole island went off. That was at least the case 2/14. But other times it is random, like the 1:30 am shut down from at least Kralendijk south on 3/11. Maybe somebody drove into a power pole?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Grunt (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1047) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 3:14 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks all.
With luck I'll be diving during the outages.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By pat murphy (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2677) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 4:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

when we first started coming to bonaire in the mid-90s the water was great...clear with plenty of pressure. but the last few years we've had add a filtering system and changed the filter every two or three months. lately we've had no pressure and we have to install a new filter every few weeks.

look at the construction near the airport and in punt vierkant...the infrastructure here isn't capable of handling the increased demand.

today we dove through most of the outage and have water saved for use later. hopefully the water will be back on in less than an hour now.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lloyd Haskell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #515) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 5:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sounds like the price of expansion . Happens everywhere subdivisions and modern development occur .

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By karen zavon (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 6:49 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

It's now 6:45 and still no water. It would be nice if Web would put a notice with the bill to give dates and times of a shut off. They certainly have no trouble delivering that in a timely fashion. Full toilets, full sink of dishes, no water. Grrrr.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pietri Hausmann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #379) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 9:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

water was on at lima 5ish . .. the WEB personnel have been working since dawn this morning non stop and are still working beside the airport as I just returned a few minutes ago and saw them finishing .. instead of complaining about a few dirty dishes, i would thank the workers for giving up their ordinarily free day to work long hours and not be with their families especially in these holiday times...a few dishes?? what about Haiti and Argentina???

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By karen zavon (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 9:23 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

It's 9:20 now and we have flithy, brown water. Paradise????

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By karen zavon (BonaireTalker - Post #11) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 9:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Oops, meant filthy.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pietri Hausmann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #380) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 9:30 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

oh please .. its basic .. just let the water run a bit .. on lima it is clear clear clear .. water is water.. you didn't complain when it was brown in these past months .
i am getting the opinion that you just are not happy in paradise because it isn't the same as the USA .. this is a great country and it isn't the usa .. love bonaire as it is .. or ???

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By KIV ~ Kobi in Virginia (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #14070) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 10:06 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Goodness.......Pietri! Have you lived your 60+ years a cranky ol soul?!?!
Give a girl a break & then maybe pour yourself a cup of brown water :)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bruce Zavon (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #118) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 10:18 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

KIV, thanks. The WEB guys are doing their job, getting paid I'm sure, there's no holiday this weekend. Easter is next weekend and they aren't working on the pipes next weekend. They guys on Sorobon Road told me the next shut off is the weekend after Easter.

I just want to know what's going on so I can adjust and plan accordingly.

(Message edited by bpzdiver on March 27, 2010)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pietri Hausmann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #381) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 10:30 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

not cranky .. just getting weary of big doings over nothing ... why is little bonaire always compared to the USA?? /// take bonaire for what it is .. not what you want it to be .. but first a brain whoops .. i meant the problems in Chile altho i am sure Argentina has many .... now .. i am sure you are aware of the severe drought on bonaire .. the worst in history .. there is no maishi... all lost .. the flora and fauna of bonaire are under incredible stress and so any birds and critters are dying .. i am sure the dying flora and fauna care less about the color of water... bonaire is in a great crisis .. do something and help .. put out food and water for the wildlife ..it is easy to criticize but more difficult for most to help improve what they attack ...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pietri Hausmann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #382) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 10:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

the weekends are generally time off for the regular crews .. which are the ones working this weekend .. next weekend is a 4 day holiday ...and the island will be crazy busy .. most bonairians will be camping on the beaches or celebrating in their kunuku's.. let's hope for no problems in those days ..

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By KIV ~ Kobi in Virginia (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #14071) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 10:42 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I will make sure I do my part, and aid the wildlife, when we come to BON this year!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Barry Gassert (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #630) on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 11:30 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wow...This is really serious!!! Karen mentions a full sink and a full toilet in the evening and then speaks of brown water in the morning.?!?!?!

Then some of you are discussing brown water later on. Running brown water, making a cup of brown water...

Anybody care to clarify which brown water we are talking about? GROSSSSS!!!!

Personally, I think this whole thread is about a lot of 'brown' water!

Drink it, run it or flush it, but go enjoy life and everyone go into the clear, clean water of Bonaire. :)

Now I'm going to go make some brown water here in "the water sucks in Jakarta". :):)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By *Skipper Tink* (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2428) on Sunday, March 28, 2010 - 12:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Pietre, I don't see anywhere on this thread someone comparing Bonaire to the USA. Let's not put words in others mouths please. MOST BTers don't feel that way at all...it's usually a first time or new poster that occasionally makes that comparison due to lack of travel experience. If you don't want to hear people complain, just don't read the thread....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bruce Zavon (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #119) on Sunday, March 28, 2010 - 12:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Water problems are actually a concern of everyone in Sabal Palm, whether they were born here, on Curacao, in Holland, the US or elsewhere. I assume that feeling is shared by most of Belnem.

We have a discussion currently going on between our neighborhood and WEB regarding exactly these issues of water quality and pressure. Obviously the construction has gotten ahead of the infrastructure in many ways, but getting it fixed requires bringing it to the attention of those who can fix it.

Please keep the personal attacks to yourself and let's make this a productive discussion.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #875) on Sunday, March 28, 2010 - 1:12 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Mr Zavon, I am surprised ... you know there is a problem with quality (brown water ) due to old pipes .. you know there is a problem with water pressure ... and you complain when there is no water for 1 day - yesterday and it will happen on several days in the future.

How do you suggest the pipes are changed ? do you think there is a beautiful witch coming along , waving her magic stick ?????

As you wrote in your original posting .. next time you just keep some water jugs in the fridge and some buckets to flush your WC ....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bruce Zavon (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #120) on Sunday, March 28, 2010 - 5:52 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Whoa! What brought that on?

I was thinking something like this, just a brochure I found online, somewhere in Kansas (OMG, sorry it is in the US), waterone.org. No beautiful witches were used. Witches, Kansas, how weird is that?


Replacing water mains is an integral part of
running a water utility. Following is information that explains these types of projects
in greater detail.

When is the time?

• As the water main ages, the structural
integrity can deteriorate and result in
main breaks.
• Main breaks cause damage to streets, side
walks, yards, etc., and repair of the
main break causes water outages for our
customers.
• Eventually the best economic and social
solution is to install a new water main
and change the customer’s water service
over to the new water main.

Where to locate new main?

• The graphic below shows a typical 3-D view of
existing buried utilities and trees within the
right-of-way.
• Due to trees and other utilities behind the curb,
the easiest path for the new water main is
generally in the street, adjacent to the curb.

Steps for installing the
replacement main

• Work closely with cities during the design.
• Notify customers in advance.
• Several steps are involved during
installation of new water main:
(1) Existing main
remains in service.

(2) After new main is installed it is pressure
tested and disinfected. Laboratory testing
is performed to verify new main will
provide safe water.
(3) After new main passes tests, customer
water service connections are disconnected
from original main and reconnected to
the new water main.

(4) The old main remains in the ground, but
is retired by disconnecting it from
WaterOne’s water distribution system.
(5) The disturbed areas are returned to their
original condition.

Apparently it is possible to install a new main line without disrupting service to the entire community during the installation. That's my beef.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Corney Ann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #405) on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 7:15 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Would someone please post on BT the times of the outages when you know them. It would be really helpful to those of us tourists that never read the paper or listen to local radio while we are visiting. Thank you.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bruce Zavon (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #121) on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 12:33 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Corney Ann:

You could look here WEB Home Page but there's nothing at all. Literally it's under construction. LOL. (Sorry couldn't help it.)

Through some friends I have heard it will be every Saturday "for a few weeks" but I don't know about this Saturday the 3rd as it's in the middle of the Easter weekend. No way will they be digging at Windsock, as it's a campground this weekend.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Trish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #102) on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 2:29 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Geeze Bruce & Karen, nothing like getting your head ripped off for voicing your very own opinion huh! That's what totally cracks me up about BT, say one negative thing about Bonaire & face the firing squad. I wonder how many folks simply lurk because they're afraid of facing the wrath of the ever-present self righteous people who think they know it all. I detected a tinge of prejudice towards the USA in this thread, which IN MY OPINION (and I'm entitled to it)is not good & uncalled for. Hang in there Zavon's, sounds like you'll be all set with new pipes sometime in the hopefully near future...until then....don't stop the carnival! xoxoxox

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pietri Hausmann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #384) on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 3:50 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

for your information ..WEB had 3/4 page notification in today's Extra .. in English-Dutch and Papiamentu in regard to "maintenance activities water distribution grid"' ... no further activities are set for this grid in the immediate future.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By lisa z (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #384) on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 7:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hope by this time your water is on and running clear. Here in New York, there were people without electric and water for 8 days after a nasty rain and wind storm. Now it's pouring again, and more people are without. Feel very sorry for everyone. We have become so dependant on our luxuries, myself included. Good luck Karen and Bruce.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Trish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #104) on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 7:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hey Bruce, you may be terrible at plumbing, but your analogy of how it should be done is spot on! My hubby, the pipe-fitter, says that's exactly how it's done! And, because I know you won't say it, I will, the Zavon's take care of all the island critters, from having a pump for the bird's water to setting out buckets of water for the donkey's at night. Might be a good idea to do a little research before bashing people, or, as we say in the good ol' USA "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By lisa z (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #386) on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 7:46 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Trish, I can't agree with you more. Unfortunately, many people like to get their angry and frustrations out of this board. Miserable little people they are, lol.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Trish (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #105) on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - 5:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Lisa, and you are so right!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Will Brown (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #239) on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - 9:22 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Good ole' Pietri.

SOS

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bruce Zavon (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #123) on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - 9:54 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Pietri, thanks for the updated info.

Liza, you're right. Gotta put it in perspective. Nature can really mess up our little lives.

Trish: Thanks to Ken bringing the new pump we do have a working bird bath again. Haven't been leaving water for donkeys yet, but good idea.

Now back to work.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #876) on Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 8:30 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Coming Saturday WEB will be working again on the new water pipes … so no water for Belnem from 8.00 – 17.00 !

The advertising WEB has published in the local news papers every day for 1 week informs that this will be the case (every Saturday ?) for the next 3 months

Have some extra bottles of water in your fridge and have a bucket of water in your bathroom …..

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bruce Zavon (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #125) on Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 9:06 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for posting the update. That's gotta be really bad for hotels, as most guests arrive Saturdays. Sorry, no shower after the redeye.

As I said above, why turn off all of Belnem every week for 12 weeks? Why can't they just lay the new main with connections ready for each property, say a 1000 meter section at a time. Turn off the old main long enough to switch the line from the old to the new (maybe an hour?), turn it back on and everyone beyond the repaired portion will have water immediately. Everyone on the 1000 meter section will be connected one by one, takes about 10 minutes each connection with new flexible plastic pipes. Much less customer inconvenience.

Just a suggestion. I'm sure someone with water line experience could explain it better.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Eric M. "CamMan" (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #671) on Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 9:17 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bruce, there's a really easy and obvious solution for that. And a whole lot more fun than a shower.

e.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bruce Zavon (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #126) on Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 9:28 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Does sound like a great excuse to "have to" dive all day on Saturdays.

"Make lemonade."

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Corney Ann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #406) on Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 1:02 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Brigitt, Thank you for posting the time.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #877) on Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 1:53 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bruce, why not talking to WEB? As I see it as non technician ...
1) not enough men power
2) they use the old place for the new water pipes because there is no soil but Coral - quite a job with an expensive machine to cut kilometers of new grooves for the pipes .. I think they have only 1 of those anyhow ....
3) every single house on the Kaya van Eps has to be connected to the new pipe with new connections ....

.... and as an owner of accommodations, none of our guests made any problem last week .... we informed them 2 days before and informed the new arrivals to take their showers directly ..enough time between arrival and the turn off of the water ...

I can still not understand what the big problem is , we know it will happen so we are prepared ...


 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #878) on Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 2:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

... and by the way, I am glad they open the road in front of my house on Friday and on Saturday evening it all closed again ...
One day of an extra big amount of flying dust is more than enough, I dont want that for weeks around the house ...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By lisa z (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #389) on Friday, April 2, 2010 - 1:18 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I think I could do much better without electricity than water on Bonaire.
My sympathies to you.

 


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