APUA to add new RO plant with Japan funding

On Monday, the Antigua and Barbuda government signed an agreement with the Japanese government to install a new reverse osmosis plant at Fryes Beach. The installation is part of the country’s efforts to increase its water production capacity.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne and the Japanese Ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean, Yutaka Matsubara, signed the agreement.

The new plant, which will cost USD 1.4 million, will be the second Japanese-funded plant at Fryes Beach.

Once operational, it will have the capacity to produce 332,000 gallons of water daily, which, combined with the other plant installed in 2022, will bring the total water production capacity to 1.2 million gallons per day.

Prime Minister Browne expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for its assistance in helping Antigua and Barbuda achieve its water production goals.

He acknowledged that Antigua and Barbuda is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, and the grant from the Japanese government will help the country sustain water sustainability.

He also noted that this agreement signals the close relationship that exists between the two countries.

In recent years, Antigua and Barbuda has been grappling with persistent droughts, which have aggravated the country’s water scarcity problem.

The new reverse osmosis plant will help to address this issue and improve the country’s water infrastructure.

Residents of Antigua and Barbuda have had to contend with water scarcity, and the addition of the new plant and the existing plant will allow the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) to better serve customers in the southern corridor of Antigua.

Utilities Minister Melford Nicholas expressed his appreciation to the government of Japan for its support in building out the country’s water production capabilities.

He revealed that the new expansion will bring APUA’s capacity on completion to 1.2 million gallons daily.

He also noted that the Japanese government has been financing a number of projects in Antigua and Barbuda through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects.

Japanese Ambassador Matsubara stated that the new plant will supply water at an affordable price, which can be made available to the agricultural sector to improve food security.

The new plant will improve the country’s water infrastructure and help it cope with the perennial problems of droughts, which are now being worsened by the effects of climate change.

This agreement is the second water production agreement signed within a week that will result in increased water production for the country, demonstrating the government’s commitment to addressing the country’s water scarcity problem.