By Kisean Joseph
The Fort James Reverse Osmosis Plant is set to undergo significant improvements with the installation of a new dual filtration system, in an effort to address long-standing operational challenges that have affected water production.
The announcement came as part of ongoing efforts by the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) to boost the supply of water around the community and its environs.
Minister of Information, Broadcasting, Telecommunications & Information Technology, Melford Nicholas, said that the existing plant has faced operational difficulties due to water quality issues.
“From its inception, when I got in office, I’d recognized that the plant had been plagued by moments when it became inoperable because of the turbidity,” Nicholas said.
To combat these issues, APUA has invested in advanced filtration technology.
“We have ordered some supplemental equipment to be able to put in place a dual filtration system, an ultra-filtration system on one of the plants to ensure that even in those adverse conditions, it can still operate at its optimum,” the minister said.
Implementation of these improvements is scheduled to begin shortly, with technical experts expected to oversee the installation.
“The equipment has arrived and it is going to be a turnkey solution. The provider or the supplier of the equipment will be arriving on island towards the end of February to commence the installation,” Nicholas said, adding that the process is expected to take “six to eight weeks to complete”.
The new system has been specifically designed to address the turbidity issues that have plagued the plant’s operations periodically. The enhanced pre-filtration capabilities will enable the facility to maintain production even during adverse environmental conditions.
APUA is also exploring other solutions to further improve the plant’s efficiency and provide significant advantages in water treatment.
“One other issue that we’re going to be looking at developing is exploring the possibility of wells in the Fort James area,” Minister Nicholas said and added that “if the water is drawn from the wells, it means that we have an opportunity to get the land and the earth to do some of the filtration for us.”
The minister sees this approach to re-engineering the Fort James facility as a demonstration of APUA’s commitment to develop solutions to the island’s water production challenges.
