The Antigua and Barbuda government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a Japanese company, WOTA, to install small-scale water recycling systems in homes across the country.

The signing took place on Monday with Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph, and officials of both the National Housing Development and Urban Renewal Company and CHAPA in attendance.

Antigua is facing a severe water crisis, which has been exacerbated by climate change.

The government’s current strategy for addressing this crisis is to install water-desalination plants around the island. However, these plants are quite expensive to operate and maintain, as they require significant capital investments.

To complement the existing strategy, the government has decided to pursue new strategies to conserve water.

The agreement with WOTA will enable the installation of individual water recycling systems in the homes produced by the two government housing agencies – CHAPA and National Housing.

The project will help tackle Antigua’s critical developmental issue of water management.

The recycled water from showers and kitchen sinks will be suitable for drinking, while the water from the septic will be recycled for gardening or landscaping.

This recycling system will also help solve the problem of soil structure in some parts of Antigua, where the water doesn’t percolate properly, creating other issues for homeowners.

The agreement calls for a six-month to a year trial period for the systems to determine their cost-effectiveness when compared to cisterns and soakaways currently built into every house.

This project will reduce the reliance on government-produced water, thus helping the country to manage its water resources more efficiently.