Water Returns to Unitedville, But For How Long?

Water service has been restored in Unitedville after several days of disruption. A burnt-out pump that left households without a reliable supply has been replaced, and clean, potable water is flowing again.

The outage in recent weeks sparked anger on social media, with residents directing complaints at the local Water Board. Families said daily life was disrupted as taps ran dry and basic needs could not be met.

Terree Westby, billing clerk and member of the Unitedville Water Board, says the claims that households had been without water for weeks were exaggerated. She explained that her small team works long hours to keep the system running and has even discovered signs of sabotage near pump sites and pipelines. “ I have problems. I have someone called going around chopping up the lines, messing up the wires. They even go to the reservoir and they shut off the valve,” she said. 

Westby told News Five that the online criticism makes the job feel thankless. “They do a lot of things. I don’t know what they’re trying to do to me, but if they believe that they could move me like that, I still come out here,” she said

Former chairman Mike Juan, who oversaw the system for fifteen years, says the problem is nothing new. Wells run dry, pumps fail, and every administration has struggled to stay ahead of outages. Still, he believes the current board is doing its best under difficult circumstances. “The minister is working, streets dih pave, we never got this before…The man tries to do his best.”

The long-term solution has been discussed for years: connecting Unitedville to Belize Water Services’ national pipeline. But that move comes with a trade-off. Unlike a village board, BWS enforces strict payment policies, leaving little room for leniency when customers fall behind on their bills.

Juan said, “WASA could be the solution, but you gotta pay the price.”

Is this a move that the villagers are willing to take?