SEVERAL administrations in the past have attempted to intervene into the water sector with very limited success. Despite spending hundreds of millions over the last 20 years, our water sector is still in shambles. We intend to create three distinct zones of integration of our water resources. The Northern Zone will be from Ravine Poisson to Roseau and will include the entire north and north eastern part of the island. Then there will be a South Western Zone that will cover from Roseau to Choiseul, and a South Eastern Zone that will be from Laborie to Dennery. The intent is to create a level of integration of the water reticulation system.
The majority of our tourism plant is based in the north of the island, our centre of commerce is in the north and 60 percent of our population resides in this section of the island. Undoubtedly, a collapse of our water reticulation system in the north can have a deleterious effect on our economy. This area is thus forced to become a priority. It is our view that the present prioritization of Desilting of the John Compton Dam is flawed.
We do not believe that the desilting of the John Compton Dam should be the first work activity of the water reticulation system for the north of Saint Lucia. We are of the opinion that reducing the loss of potable water in the distribution lines has to be the first priority. The second priority should then be the reduction of loss of the raw water along the pipeline from Millet to the treatment plant at Ciceron. At present we are losing 40 percent of raw water along the route. The last activity would be the development of dredging as a continuous maintenance activity at the John Compton Dam.
Given the stage of the procurement process of the desilting project, with an award most likely soon, the reduction of loss of raw water will then be the next priority and assistance will be sought from the Caribbean Development Bank to explore the possibility of this activity being attached to the present loan. The larger hotels in the north will be encouraged to invest in desalination plants and will be provided with an opportunity to sell surplus water to WASCO. The hotel developers will be given concessions to encourage this investment in desalination plants. Four large storage tanks will be located within Cap Estate to receive water from the various desalination plants. The high elevations within Cap Estate will allow gravity flow from these tanks to the lower areas of Cas en Bas, Beausejour and Gros Islet town.
The development of the western corridor is hindered by the lack of water supply. Ironically there are two major river courses, namely the Anse la Raye and Canaries River in this area. The intent is to integrate these two water sources to provide all the demand for the future development along the West Coast Road. Within the South Western zone, once sub zone will involve Anse la Raye and Canaries and the other sub-zone will be Soufiere and Choiseul. This will ensure that residents and future tourism investments are fully serviced.
The South Eastern Zone will have two sub-zones. Denney and Micoud will be considered as a sub-zone and Vieux Fort and Laborie will be considered a sub zone. We believe this integration into sub-zones will significantly impact the water sector and thus spur economic growth.
We intend to immediately commission the preparation of a Drought Management Plan and Water Reduction Guidelines. We must accept the reality of climate change and respond promptly to the impending challenges. This plan and guidelines will primarily focus on improving water use efficiency of consumers; assisting them in preparing for shortages when supplies are adequate, and to shift to curtail demand when shortages occur.
We remain committed to see a functional WASCO that is financially self sufficient and part of the review will look at Board Composition and outsourcing.
I am no certified engineer, however, from my literary overlook, this reads more like a marvel comics inspired dreamscape.
Let’s use the human circulatory system as analogy to debunk your aversion to desilting the dam.
So you recommend that given the threat of a major cardiac thrombosis, the doctor should repair some leaks in the capillaries of the legs and arms and IGNORE THE HEART!!!!
The only assertions that make sense are :
-The entire Caribbean Basin is on the dry backside of the worst El Nino cycle in decades -COMPOUNDED by the ongoing climatic changes.
-The hotels may have signalled an intent to form a conglomerate water desalination unit -to serve them ONLY!!!!
Last year a blogger clarified the PROHIBITIVE COSTS of running desalination units.
So only as a group would the moneyed hotels consider said desalination proposal.
Given the dam coronary bypass and the the flawed desalination projection, the rest of your dreamscape can be VOID as impractical, n’est pas?
The impingements of of an election year have corrosive effects on your better writing abilities.
Firstly, I respect your honesty in declaring you are not a certified engineer, and I will follow and say that I also am not a medical doctor. However, for simplicity, let us assume that the water storage tank at you home was vandalized and someone placed a quantity of large stones in the tank, and they also broke the pipe leading from the tank to your house. One does not have to be an engineer to conclude that the prudent approach to this crisis is to first fix the pipe and then later take the stones out of the tank. I believe that this is a more suited analogy, with the stones in the tank equating to the silt in the Dam, May I also strongly advise that if ever you get a deep laceration, don’t go to a cardiologist seeking an appointment, try and stop the flow of blood, just maybe your awaiting may prove fatal.
Touche! Monsieur John Peters
Your analogy has much civil engineering clarity.
Your argument has merit.
My concern is for the general acceptance of the competing proposals (desilting versus repairing the distribution network) and the favorable earmark for passage in fiscal policy-given a hostile frenzied parliament @ election year.
The dam closes opposing ranks via sentimentality and political perception.
Given your succinct analogy my rethink moves me to embrace your repair of prohibitive leaks in the distribution network/infrastructure.
Much respect.