Water strategy outlined

The Minister responsible for Utilities, Melford Nicholas, recently disclosed APUA’s Water Business Unit development plans for the short, medium, and long term.

In a signing ceremony with Seven Seas Water Group (SSWG), a US-based company, a 12-year agreement was formalized to produce approximately 3 million gallons of water per day.

The agreement includes the commissioning of two plants within six and 18 months, respectively, which will increase APUA’s water production capacity to about 12 million gallons daily.

Minister Nicholas explained that the production of water has been one of the primary challenges faced by the utilities company in meeting the growing demand. He highlighted the growing dependence on reverse osmosis for water production, which has been affected by the condition of the seas at specific times of the year, as a significant setback.

The demand for water has been growing exponentially due to several factors, including the rapid expansion in the number of homes, supplying cruise ships, and the expansion of the hotel industry.

APUA’s Water Business Unit aims to have a productive capacity of 12-14 million gallons of water per day by signing another agreement with another company and commissioning another plant of its own at Bethesda.

However, settling the production challenge will not entirely solve the water situation as the distribution of water is another pressing issue.

The aging distribution network, which is about 80 years old, needs replacement. During the Prime Minister’s recent visit to China, he secured a commitment from the Chinese government to provide assistance in this regard.

The next phase will focus on replacing the aging distribution network, and the essential systems and investments necessary to achieve this will remain a critical part of the equation.

The goal is to ensure that water is available to everyone, no matter where they live on Antigua.