Published On:Saturday, March 06, 2010

By TANEKA THOMPSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

tthompson@tribunemedia.net

THE availability of fresh drinking water in the Bahamas could be jeopardised by climate change and hurricanes, warned State Environment Minister Phenton Neymour, who said this country urgently needs proper water networks and management policies.

Anticipated sea level rise from climate change, hurricane motivated storm surges -- and even heavy rain -- can all contaminate precious water well-fields with brackish, salty water, cautioned Mr Neymour, leading to severe water shortages and unavailability.

Likewise, human acts of environmental negligence -- like digging pits or quarries to obtain fill below the water table or dumping solid and liquid wastes indiscriminately -- also threaten our water supply.

His statements came as he chastised the Christie administration for its "reckless management or mismanagement" of two publicly owned utility companies -- the Water and Sewage Corporation (WSC) and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) -- actions for which, he said, the Bahamian people are still paying heavily.

The threats underscore the need for properly designed water supply systems or a centralized sewerage system, especially in New Providence, which is burdened with a rapidly growing population of more than 300,000, said Mr Neymour.

"This administration has identified such instances and appropriate preventative and response mechanisms are in trend," he told Parliament during his contribution to the 2009/2010 mid-term budget debate.

The South Beach representative recalled several past natural disasters that wreaked havoc on fresh water well-fields on Cat Island, Long Island, Andros and Grand Bahama, in turn leaving these islands severely depleted of drinking water.

"We may presume that our wells will continue to provide the water we need, and that water will still come streaming from the tap. Hurricane Floyd should be a fervent reminder that being complacent or passive in establishing appropriate water networks could prove disastrous and consequential to our future water supply and to our overall well-being and could place us in jeopardy," said the South Beach representative.

During hurricane Floyd water wells in parts of Cat Island and Long Island were put out of use because of sea water contamination. Similarly, storm surges from hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004 had major affects on the water resources of Grand Bahama while hurricane Frances caused damage to water resources in North Andros, he said.

These two hurricanes adversely affected the country's two major well-fields -- W6 in Grand Bahama and the Barging Wellfield in North Andros, said Mr Neymour.

"These primary well-field locations, positioned in the centre of two of the largest Bahamian islands, were both inundated by the sea water, and became brackish as a result. Parts of the Andros well-field still have high salinity as a result of the saline intrusion. There is abundant evidence in Grand Bahama and Andros of previous events that caused saltwater damage to the environment."

Alarmingly few of these major events were recorded and analysed by the previous administration or officials at WSC handicapping the corporation from designing future mitigation plans, said Mr Neymour.

"This administration is addressing such planning deficits," he said.

The anticipated devastating affects of climate change -- which can lead to elevated sea levels that can devastate our low lying chain of islands -- is also a major threat to our water supply.

"Climate change is expected to result in rising sea levels, in addition to the threat of even more severe hurricanes and storm surges. Therefore, the Bahamas should elevate our awareness and preparedness to the threat that such likelihoods pose to our water resources and to our water supplies.

"In fact, even heavy rainfall events can be disastrous, similar to that which occurred during tropical Storm Noel. Heavy flooding can result in the wastes from septic tanks flowing directly into the private wells of our manipulation. This has been a repeat occurrence in some parts of New Providence."

To mitigate against these threats, the Ingraham administration will focus on enacting environmental and conservation laws and regulations; preventing future improper development in low-lying areas prone to flooding; restrict rock and sand mining activities to approved locations only; and protect beach ridge and coastal dune formations.

Government also plans to adopt appropriate physical planning policies, which will protect infrastructure from storm surges and rising water tables.