Officials in the Water Department at the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) have been put on notice to get their act together and improve the daily provision of water to the nation, or face dire consequences.
The warning came from Information Minister and Cabinet Spokesperson Melford Nicholas on Thursday, during the Post Cabinet Press Briefing as he was sharing the government’s dissatisfaction despite its many efforts to increase water capacity across the island.
The issue of providing an adequate supply of water to consumers has been plaguing the nation for many years.
“The various MPs and myself have been complaining over significant periods of time that there are pockets of persons within the communities that are still experiencing periods of no supply of water. Nicholas said.
“Pretty much the members were told in no uncertain terms that it is time to shape up or ship out. It’s probably unfortunate but I think it … would be appropriate to sum up yesterday’s discourse as them being read the riot act.”
Nicholas did not disclose what the consequences would be for the top officials, but did maintain that there is sufficient production of water to ensure that no community is without for prolonged periods despite the Opposition saying otherwise.
APUA’s General Manager, Esworth Martin, Manager of the APUA Water Business Unit, Ian Lewis, and two other APUA supervisors were in fact summoned to Cabinet this week to explain why there are still inadequate supplies of water in some areas, despite announcements from the state-owned company that no community should be without pipe-borne water for longer than two days.
The APUA managers were instructed to carefully rotate the distribution of water so that all communities are served regularly.
According to this week’s Cabinet notes “several men and women were employed and trained to open and close the valves which supply or divert water to and from different communities. Those APUA employees are required to share their daily findings by written submission of a daily report.”
Just two months ago, an extra 500,000 gallons of potable water was added to the everyday supply of 7 million gallons following the commissioning of the new reverse osmosis plant at Fort James Beach.
This plant is one of three that APUA announced would come on stream to help maintain a constant supply of water all year round, especially during periods of severe drought.
In March of this year, the Ffryes Beach plant, supplying 400,000 gallons of water daily, came on stream, followed by the Fort James plant in September providing another 500,000 daily.
Another plant in Bethesda which will be supplying a further two million gallons daily, is also expected to be commissioned. However, according to Minister of Public Utilities Sir Robin Yearwood, that plant will not come on stream until next year, although some of the equipment are on island and some are in the process of being shipped, as he implored residents to be patient in this regard.
This is not the first time that frustrations have been voiced over the delivery of the commodity by APUA as, in April this year, Prime Minister Gaston Browne alleged that there may be “opposition elements within APUA who may be sabotaging the delivery of water” by switching the valves off.
Browne stated further that he had called the general manager of APUA asking him to “micro-manage” water distribution.
However, weeks later Water Business Unit Ian Lewis said that no evidence was found to support the “sabotage” allegation.
Observer media reached out to APUA for comment, but they declined to do so.
