Residents urged to value water and rethink its uses

(SKNIS): Residents of St. Kitts and Nevis have been urged to develop a new paradigm for water use as the government seeks to relieve the current shortage caused by an extended period of low rainfall.

Drought like conditions have caused island-wide water rationing by the Water Services Department (WSD), while other measures such as a public relations campaign providing relevant information and conservation tips, and the monitoring of standpipes has been in place since 2015. The government also laid new pipelines and is exploring the transfer of and eventual activation of a desalination plant currently located at La Valley. Additionally, local authorities are working with officials from Ocean Earth Technologies to identify new wells as sources of water.

“We want to urge ongoing conservation not just in periods of drought, so that the people take the water for what it is – a very scarce resource, a very critical resource to life and living and always, we use it the best way and try to avoid wastage of water,” Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, said at his monthly press conference on Monday (May 30).

The prime minister had previously mentioned a number of resorts/hotels under construction and said plans are in place to ensure they are not a burden to the public infrastructure.

“Moving forward, increasing attention will be had on hoteliers building desalination plants so that that demand will not come naturally on the national supply,” Dr. Harris said. Similarly, residents constructing homes are encouraged to include cisterns and other water saving devices to the new structure.

Prime Minister Harris saluted Minister responsible for Public Infrastructure, Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd for his leadership of the ministry during the current challenges. The Water Services Department falls under Minister Liburd’s purview.