CWSA: Water Situation “likely to get worse”

By Demion McTair Updated 3:28 p.m., Monday,6 April 2020, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4)

Kingstown (ON SVG) – As much drought conditions have affected water supply in St. Vincent, the Central Water and Sewage Authority – CWSA says, based on predictions, the situation is likely to get worse for another month or so.

Chief Executive Officer of the CWSA, Mr. Garth Saunders said Sunday on WEFM, that the country’s three main water systems – Dallaway, Montreal and Majorca, which supply 65 to 70 percent of the country’s water supply are currently below capacity.

“The rainfall meters at Dallaway have so far shown that we are 25 percent below our normal average rainfall” – Mr Saunders said.

“Last year, for instance, we had 26 inches of rainfall at Dallaway. This year, for the forst three months, January, February and March this year, we have just 22 inches of rainfall in that area”- Mr. Saunders added.

Mr. Sauders said the situation is the same at Montreal and Majorca.

“Likewise at Montreal, we had 27.4 inches of rain. This year, we have just 19 inches of rain. So, we are down by almost 30 percent at Montreal and we are down 24 percent at Dallaway and Majorca” – Saunders said.

“Suffice it to say, our situation this year is worst than the average, worse than last year and it is likely, based on the predictions to get worse for another month or so” – the head of the CWSA added.

Several communities on the mainland have been without pipe bourne water for up to two days in some cases and the CWSA has had to truck water into these communities.

The CSWA on Sunday published photos of a river which ran dry at the Majorca catchment.

Usually in times of severe drought, efforts are made to ship water for distribution to the Grenadine islands which have no natural fresh water reserves or streams.

It is not clear if or how distribution is going.