BVI’s water production will always need subsidy — Penn
Health Minister Marlon Penn has argued that the BVI’s water production and distribution network will always require a subsidy but said it is important that this is minimised as much as possible.
Penn made the suggestion as legislators recently had debates in the House of Assembly (HOA) about the transformation of the Water & Sewerage Department into a statutory body.
According to the Health Minister, the Department currently runs at a cost of close to $40 million per year. He argued that if the current trend continues as the Department transitions to a statutory body, the cost burden will continue as a problem for the public.
“We do not have a water production problem in this territory. I see the water running down the street every day,” Penn said. “We have a distribution problem and that distribution problem is going to require significant capital investments to be able to address those issues.”
He said if legislators are serious about their task in transforming the Department to a statutory body, then they have to commit to the necessary infrastructural and capital investment required to fix the real problem facing water and sewerage in the territory.
“There’s going to always be some need for subsidy to the water production or water delivery in this territory. There’s always going to be some need for some type of subsidy,” Penn added.
He said a strategic plan was required to assist in showing how to face the distribution issue combined with a phased approach and a clear method.
Penn argued that once the distribution problem is fixed, a better picture will emerge of the consumption needs of the territory; since many persons are currently not receiving the water that is being produced locally.
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Listen, all these years and we have no pipes in Rogues Bay. We can’t get no street water to date.
What’s the Government doing about that? People in Rogues Bay don’t deserve the common courtesy of Street water being made available? Come on, Government needs to do better for their tax paying residents.
Well maybe if instead of putting air conditioning in the Sports Complex, we spent the money on water infrastructure. Only reason its in its present state is because it has not been a priority, probably because none of the pols can figure out how to profit from it.
How much of the 40M operational cost is due to wastage because of poor infrastructure?
Every house should have a cistern or at least a 2000-4000 gallon container. Government can buy them and charge 20 a month until paid off. Set standards and have them installed properly. This may reduce consumption along with a campaign on water saving tip…..example how many people bush their teeth ad the water run through the entire process?
Just my thoughts.
This water situation has been one BIG LIE all along!!! We talk about infrastructure, wastage and other things but NOBODY mentions the damn AGREEMENTS in place for managing water plants that are highly inflated management fees!!! How about the law suit with one of the former companies; what was the settlement on that!
Town and Country Planning have rules about how large a cistern each home or apartment building must have. Why are these rules being constantly ignored? Water is a responsibility, fix your gutters, fix your cistern or build one, and stop demanding the government supply your water. Come on be responsible to make your cistern of water last as long as possible, and when it runs out then you buy water. We use to go to the well when our cisterns went dry. Come on people be responsible. Do not rent a home or apartment that does not have an adequate cistern. This is simple folks, take responsibility.
So if you have a garden at home and plant fruit trees, vegetables etc. do you expect the cistern water to be used for that? Any where else residents are afforded running water so stop it with the cistern talk.
Cisterns are there yes but what about farming and growing your own crops?
@ Wondering, well wow! go to a well? You must be living in the 1900’s. These are modern times and whilst I can appreciate homes/apartment buildings have cisterns, there is still need for potable water or you expect we must cook, do laundry, bathe, clean and water the gardens with cistern water?
Wondering is 100% correct. We have a 25,000 gallon cistern, which we have used for nearly 60 years for all our water: cooking, bathing, laundry and watering our garden. What is wrong with that? We have never paid a dime for city water. Houses today are built with poured foundations, so it’s easy to put a large cistern under the house and collect water from the roof. There is no reason the government should be subsidizing what everyone can get for free.
Historically, agriculture beyond a subsistence level has not thrived in places that lack fresh water.
Totally agree with the sentiments regarding cisterns. Every house should have one. Occupancy should be limited to how much water you can collect.
Get the water under government control and we won’t have to pay premium dollars for wasted water. Keep the excess pressure from people’s house and send it around the island. Problem fixed.
I wonder what % of the population relies on gov water given the cost to the taxpayer – or are we essentially subsidising water to the cruise ships etc? There is no reason for it not to be profitable with good investment and management.
If government cant get it right then denationalise.
Because every day is a water leak somewhere on some road
$40 million? Can we see the accounts? Who owns the Water Company? I assumed it was already Government owned. How much of that $40 million is running costs and how much is in salaries or bonuses? No Utility should be private hands they should be Government owned- Electric should be Government owned as well. And the Government should have its own Department for the roads not pay contractors as the potholes get filled and then come back.