Earlier this year we told you about a school strike in Santa Martha, where parents weren't sending their children to school because there was no water. It had been a problem for months – where the village – at mile 29 on the old Northern Road – didn't have a generator to push its water pump. NEMO eventually came to the rescue loaning them a generator. But it was a short term fix because keeping the generator running required costly diesel fuel. But now they've hooked up to the main power supply – which simplifies things and lets NEMO get back its generator in time for hurricane season. A Ceremony was held yesterday to celebrate the accomplishment. The rural Development minister explained the importance…
Hon. Godwin Hulse - Minster of Rural Development and NEMO
" The power was passing right by so it was more convenient to get a set of transformers and hook up to the system. It is now automatic, there is a flow and while it will still require maintenance, it's far less. When you're running these kinds of engines from my manager as an engineer I know that you run them full out, used or not used you're burning the fuel. When you're coming off the grid you pay for what you use because it is metered so when the pump cuts off there is no power being consumed and when the pump starts again there's power being consumed. So it is a tremendous advantage."
Alberto Cantun - Chairman, Santa Martha Water Board
"Current is the best right now because we used to spend too much money for diesel, like seven hundred. Right now we are spending 150.00 a month for eighteen days."
"Thank you for upgrading the system, muchas gracias"
The PUP area representative for Orange Walk East Marco Tulio Mendez and the UDP aspirant, Landy Burns were present.
Santa Martha is a mostly immigrant farming community.
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