Water: a precious resource

Officials at the Water Department have confirmed that the water shortage currently being experienced in the Federation is worsening and have appealed to the general public to refrain from wasting the scarce resource.

Denison Paul, Assistant Engineer of Operations at the St. Kitts Water Department spoke exclusively with The Observer, informing of the gravity of the present situation.

"The situation has worsened since we initially asked the general public to employ water conservation techniques earlier this month. The issue is rainfall; we are experiencing unusually low levels for this time of year and it is already impacting the island's water supply," he said.

Paul explained that rainfall levels so far this year are down considerably compared to corresponding periods in 2009.

"Although rainfall for January this year was only down 0.35 inches compared to January 2009, as of February 22nd of this year rainfall was 0.02 inches compared to 1.57 inches last February. So you get an idea of how serious the situation is."

Water shortage is a problem being experienced from Venezuela in the South to Jamaica in the North due to a regional drought. Islands including Trinidad, St. Lucia and Antigua have already begun rationing water to consumers. St. Lucia is facing a unique problem as a result of the water shortage. Since the island is dependent on hydropower to produce the majority of the electricity consumed, the water shortage has resulted in a shortage in the electricity supply.

Paul said although the shortage in St. Kitts has not reached critical levels, nationwide water rationing remains a possibility.

"If consumers do not start taking this matter seriously and conserve water, we may end up having to ration water. The drought is projected to last until late April, early May. Water usage in St. Kitts is very high considering the population size. Antigua has a population of about 69,000 and their daily water usage is 5 million gallons and St. Kitts, with a much smaller population of about 35,000, our daily water usage is also about 5 million gallons," he said.

With 30% of the island's water coming from the surface, little or no rainfall has registered immediate impact to the water supply. Paul informed that 70% of the water used comes from underground sources such as wells and supplies are holding up for now. He said the department is being careful to avoid over-pumping as this could lead to a water source being lost for decades.

"If consumers are not wanton in their water usage, rationing may not be employed on a national level. We do not want to risk over pumping underground water sources as this can be detrimental. Some communities will be more greatly affected by the water shortage than some as several completely rely on surface water sources. Those at a higher elevation will be the first to be affected. "

He mentioned St. Johnston Village in Basseterre is already experiencing low water pressure; its water source being a reservoir located on a slope on its outskirts. Water Department officials have embarked on a project to find an alternative water source for Cedar Grove in the St. Peters area.

"We are imploring people to stop wasting water. There are persons using public stand pipes as carwashes and we want them to know that this is an offence and they can be prosecuted for it. Despite our warnings people are still watering lawns etcetera during the daytime; if you must water grass, it is best to do so early in the mornings or in the evenings when evaporation rates are significantly lower," Paul said.

When asked about desalination as a possible water source, Paul said that would be a last resort due to the expense.

"Desalination is an option but not a very viable one in terms of expense. Consumers would find themselves paying a lot more for water than they are now. If consumers simply change their water usage habits and begin conserving, we should get through this dry spell without things becoming drastic."

The water engineer said because drought conditions have not been prevalent in the Federation, persons are used to wasting water; a foible he said which requires a cultural change. Some water conserving tips as issued by the department include using drip irrigation to water food crops, turning taps off at intervals during showers and while brushing one's teeth, reducing the frequency of toilet flushing and taking shorter showers.

The Observer also spoke with George Morris, Acting Manager of the Nevis Water Department, who said the department is "managing well" but their water systems were stretched due to the drought. With a population of approximately 12500, the island's daily water usage is about 1.8 million gallons.

"We are advocating conservation of water. We have not reached the stage of resorting to water rationing and unless persons reduce their water usage during this dry period, we might reach that stage," Morris said.

He explained that currently only two areas in Nevis were experiencing interruption to their water supply.

"Those two areas have their water supply turned off from 10 pm until 4 am in an effort that we have full pressure during the day when most water is consumed. We are currently upgrading the infrastructure in those areas."

Morris opined that conservation was the only solution to the water shortage, one that would invariably prevent a worsening of the situation. He said once the department did not experience any major mechanical failure and the drought was not prolonged, the island would not have to resort to drastic measures such as rationing or importing water.

"Water is our most precious resource; save it, don't waste it."