The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

WATER and Sewerage chairman Sylvanus Petty expressed his disappointment with Aqua Design, the company contracted by the government to provide water to Central Eleuthera due to the repeated disruptions in supply.

At a press conference in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera, yesterday, he said officials are reviewing the contract, adding that four days prior to the 2021 election, a ten-year agreement was renewed by the Minnis administration.

Works Minister Alfred Sears, at a separate press conference at the Ministry of Works yesterday, said the company has failed to efficiently operate the island’s water plants. He said the government isn’t taking any options off the table regarding Aqua Design.

Yesterday, officials said water has been restored to most customers of Central Eleuthera as of December 5, with officials noting that there is a “small pocket” of residents who may be receiving low water pressure or no water in “extreme” cases.

This disruption in supply to Eleuthera residents occurred after the island’s Naval Base desalination water production plant experienced operational issues on November 26.

Mr Petty, also the North Eleuthera MP, predicted the dilemma Central Eleuthera is faced with will later be an issue in North Eleuthera as they are now at 50 percent capacity. However, he is hopeful the matter will be resolved long-term.

While acknowledging the “terrible” quality of water on the island, Mr Petty noted the corporation is considering altering the bills of consumers in time for the holidays.

WSC acting general manager Robert Deal said stakeholders are engaging in discussions to seek a resolution and produce an action plan for the supply of water for all Eleuthera residents.

“So overall, the two things we are focusing on to improve the reliability of supply here in Central Eleuthera, one, increasing the production capacity and secondly, increasing the storage capacity,” Mr Deal told reporters yesterday.

“We need to have the production capacity exceed the demand of the residents so that we can have that extra production capacity to put water into storage. Presently we do not have that presently what happens is almost every drop of water we produce goes into supply.”

Mr Deal said WSC recently purchased a $300,000 containerised reverse osmosis plant, which is expected to increase the water production capacity from approximately 500,000 imperial gallons per day to approximately 700,000 imperial gallons per day.

He added the containerised reverse osmosis plant is expected to be operational by late January 2023.

WSC also ordered a new 1,000,000 imperial gallon storage tank for both locations, and it is scheduled to be running by June 2023, according to Mr Deal.

At the conference, Central and South Eleuthera MP Clay Sweeting thanked Mr Sears and Mr Petty for taking the necessary “corrective action”. Yesterday he expressed full confidence in both ministers and the WSC board in rectifying the matter.

“This has been a long-standing issue when we were an opposition. As a senator, I spoke heavily against this issue. At one point, they (Free National Movement) turned off the water in Central and South Eleuthera during the pandemic,” he said yesterday.

“So, it’s been a standing issue, and for me, I think the thing what I want to see out of this issue is just corrective necessary action.”

At a press conference in Nassau, Mr Sears addressed allegations against Aqua Design, saying the company has failed to efficiently operate the water plants.

He said: “It therefore means that the people in North Eleuthera as well as South and Central are faced with a water desalination facility that has not been maintained, has not been developed as it ought to have been, and that’s admitted by the company.”

Once again, he apologised to residents, as he said: “I want to also apologise and thank the people of Eleuthera, because this has been a most challenging time over the past several weeks, and with the measures being undertaken, and as I told the representatives of Aqua Design and Viola that we are not taking any options off the table.”