Water being restored to residents in the Grenadines

THE PROVISION OF WATER to the Grenadine islands affected by Hurricane Beryl has stabilized, and equipment is expected to arrive on islands to assist with the supply to residents, emergency shelters and health facilities.

Mainland St Vincent suffered infrastructural damage from the weather system on July 1, 2024, with broken mains disrupting supply to some communities in the days following the passage of Hurricane Beryl. At present, the supply to most communities across the main island has been restored.

In the Grenadines, where the supply is mainly from rainwater harvesting, plans are underway to bolster the supply particularly in the Southern Grenadines where damage from the hurricane was most extensive.

Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves provided preliminary information on water supply measures while speaking on WEFM’s Issues at Hand programme on Sunday July 14, 2024.

He said there were no reports of any significant water shortage in Bequia which has approximately a 100,000 gallon storage capacity.

On Canouan where around 70 per cent of homes suffered damage from the hurricane, Gonsalves described the availability of potable water at the island’s desalination plant as “uncertain”.

“It’s okay at the moment but it is uncertain.”

On Mayreau, damage to homes and property is estimated at 90 per cent with many residents having been evacuated and living in shelters or other accommodation. The prime minister disclosed that within the last week, the Kelly Glass Group shipped heavy duty equipment into the islands to help in the cleanup. In addition, a damage assessment of the two water systems on Mayreau was scheduled to be conducted by the Central Water and Sewage Authority (CWSA) over the weekend.

On Union Island, where almost all homes and businesses were extensively damaged or destroyed by the hurricane, efforts are being bolstered by local, regional as well as international disaster management agencies to restore the supply.

Global Support Development Mission, a rapid response and disaster preparedness humanitarian organization, has a vessel docked in Grenadine waters until July 22. They have provided assistance in cleaning and pumping water into the tank at the Union Island Health Center which has a capacity of 140,000 gallons.

Water Mission, through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), has set up a plant with storage capacity of 4,000 gallons per day.

Gonsalves said Ashton and Clifton have tanks with capacity of 300,000 gallons and 60,000 gallons respectively.

The CWSA has available a water truck that is to be dispatched to the island, and two additional trucks are to be purchased at a cost of $450,000 each. Palm Island is expected to receive a water truck with a 500-gallon capacity.

The main source of drinking water on the affected islands at present is bottled water and the prime minister said supplies are adequate to address the needs of those in homes and shelters.

“We should be okay with the water, even on Union Island where it is problematic.”