Water shortages driving residents to bathe at sea for basic hygiene

Reports that some residents have resorted to bathing in the sea to meet their personal hygiene needs are adding to concerns that the BVI’s longstanding water crisis has reached a new low.

The issue was raised by Kross Talk podcast host Tyler Levons during a recent interview with NDP candidate for the Third Electoral District, Aaron Parillon. Levons said he had seen reports that the water situation on Jost Van Dyke had become so dire that some residents were bathing in seawater.

“I saw in Jost Van Dyke, where it got so bad that members of the community resorted to bathing in the seawater,” Levons said.

Similar claims have surfaced on social media in recent weeks amid ongoing concerns about unreliable water service. Weeks ago, Second District Representative Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull told the House of Assembly that some Jost Van Dyke residents had resorted to bathing in the sea because of water shortages.

While bathing in the sea may provide a temporary alternative when fresh water is unavailable, seawater is not considered a suitable substitute for regular bathing. Its high salt content can dry or irritate the skin, while seawater may also contain bacteria, pollutants or other contaminants, particularly near populated coastlines.

Women, babies and elderly suffering

During the same Kross Talk interview, Parillon described the difficulties faced by residents in District 3 who have gone without running water for weeks at a time, creating particular hardships for women, elderly residents and families with newborn babies.

He said he has been using his personal truck for at least a year to help residents transport buckets and gallons of water to their homes.

“Some specific parts of my community are without water for a month, sometimes two weeks, sometimes three weeks. And you know women go through their cycles. We all need water to bathe but I’m just talking about the women on this part. Some of them have newborn babies, some of them are elderly women. Some of them are going through menopause,” Parillon said.

He described the situation as “very disappointing,” arguing that the territory should not be struggling to provide such a basic service given the size of its economy.

Government has acknowledged that the territory’s ageing water network has suffered from years of underinvestment and says it is pursuing repairs and upgrades. Approximately $2.8 million is being invested in water infrastructure, including new pipelines in Sea Cows Bay, improvements to the Ridge Road transmission system and the rehabilitation of several reservoirs.

Government is also advancing plans to merge the Water and Sewerage Department with the BVI Electricity Corporation under the new Virgin Islands Energy and Water Corporation, VIEWCo.