Residents urged to conserve water
With Climate Change contributing to the frequency of natural disasters and droughts experienced in the Caribbean region, Director of the Water & Sewerage Department, Perline Scatliffe-Leonard is urging residents to be more conservative with water usage.
Director Scatliffe-Leonard made the call as the British Virgin Islands observed World Water Day at the weekend.
“We know that as the climate gets warmer, water evaporates more from both land and the ocean; and so we can agree that the manner in which we use water can be dictated by climate change, given that less water is available,” the director stated.
“As a result, we cannot stress enough that it is everyone’s responsibility to conserve this precious resource,” she added.
BVI’s Infrastructure strengthened
Scatliffe-Leonard further said that studies by her department have ensured that the territory is better prepared to continue supplying residents with water in the event it is impacted by another major natural disaster.
She said: “Our infrastructure has been strengthened so that we are able to provide water service to our customers after these events, even if our reservoirs are destroyed. We have been preparing, and in most cases, we are continually improving on and maintaining our goal of 100 percent readiness in our preparations.”
Water efficiency systems need to be embraced
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Joseph Smith-Abbot, said the BVI needs to embrace systems which makes more efficient use of water.
“As the global population grows, so does the demand for water, which depletes natural resources and damages the environment in many places … Water is our most precious resource and we must use it more responsibly,” he said.
The Deputy Secretary recommended that the territory adopt climate-smart agricultural techniques, protect oceans and wetlands areas, and increase the safe reuse of wastewater.
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Conserve water?? well why not fix the leak of water running down the road West of Sophie Bay. This water leak has been going on in plain sight for more than a week.
There are actually 2 leaks there: One at the bottom of Sophie Bay Road and one half way up the hill.
The leaks have been reported several times.
three days now west end has no water!!!! this is ridiculous!!!
and it is sea water we using ?? that cant done !!
Water $ Sewerage is a BIG joke. One month free of charge for consumers. Where is the water and which month is it.
Director, get it together. You are doing a lousy job. Plus you cant conserve what you don’t get.
Water is life; water is a precious resources. The VI is a water challenge community with no rivers, lakes, ponds, major springs or other sources. lack of water is not a strength but a weakness and a threat. There is an opportunity to use the desalination to provide a high quality, steady supply of potable water. With a growing population and an increasing use in commercial and industrial sectors, the best means to meet its water needs is desalination. A water, wastewater and stormwater (drainage) master plan is urgently needed.
The VI got to think outside the proverbial sand box. Singapore, a small city-state with a high standard of living, quality of life and per capita income and a strong world class economy, is a water challenge community. It converts sewage water to potable water, albeit mainly industrial for uses; other uses are promising. See NEWater: A Singapore success story. Other locales treat wastewater at an advanced level and then inject it into water system for further treatment. Some bottle water may come from municipal systems.
Moreover, there are frequent concerns about water leaks occurring for days. This is not good management of the water resource. The Water and Sewage Dept must make it its mission to fix leaks instantly. Leaks cost the WSD, consumer, territory. A hot line for reporting water leaks should be established.
According to this im****le we might run out of water in the ocean?! “We know that as the climate gets warmer, water evaporates more from both land and the ocean; and so we can agree that the manner in which we use water can be dictated by climate change, given that less water is available,” the director stated. Perline Scatliffe-Leonard