00:00At a United National Congress campaign meeting at Debe Junction on Tuesday,
00:04Member of Parliament for Princestown Barry Podarath, who has been selected as
00:09the UNC's candidate for Cuva South, told those gathered at the event that the
00:13government is putting the lives of constituents at risk.
00:17That there is a report inside of Wassa that the wells that they have dug in Maruga Tableland
00:24have high concentration of carcinogenic material in it and the instruction has
00:31been from the government to continue water production through those wells.
00:35Tonight I want to put the people of Maruga Tableland on alert that your
00:41water supply could very well lead to you getting cancer for you, your family and
00:47your children. Podarath said the UNC is studying the report and added that it
00:52will be public in days to come. In response the Water and Sewage Authority
00:57labels the claims made by Podarath factually incorrect and irresponsibly
01:02alarmist with potential to cause undue distress to the public.
01:06Wassa says it maintains the highest level of water quality in keeping with
01:10guidelines set by the World Health Organization, the Regulated Industries
01:15Commission and the Environmental Management Agency. The authority points
01:19to what it says are rigorous testing protocols for all raw water sources
01:23including the Maruga wells. Wassa's chief executive officer Keith Roy Halliday
01:29says quote the claims made are deeply troubling and misleading. The lab reports
01:34I have reviewed confirm that the water quality from the Maruga wells contains
01:39only naturally occurring elements consistent with the region's geology.
01:43End quote. Wassa is giving an assurance that its water treatment procedures
01:48address the raw water composition ensuring that water distributed to its
01:52customers meets all safety standards. The authority says to suggest otherwise is a
01:59reckless misrepresentation of the facts and that statements implying that Wassa
02:03will knowingly distribute unsafe water undermines public trust in a critical
02:09national institution. Wassa is further giving an assurance that it remains
02:13committed to providing potable water which meets the requisite standards.
02:17Alicia Boucher TV6 News
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