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| Minister of Public Utilities and Post, the Hon A Michael Perkins. Photo Provided |
Charlestown Nevis (March 16, 2004) The Nevis Island Administration and in particular, the Ministry of Public Utilities and Post is looking at the possibility of installing a desalination plant which would increase the daily water supply by 500,000 gallons.
This was revealed on Monday March 15, by Minister of Public Utilities, the Hon A Michael Perkins while updating the Government Information Service on his recent trip to Anguilla. His Permanent Secretary, Mr. Elvin Bailey and the Engineer Manager of Water Department, Mr. Floyd Robinson, accompanied him.
Perkins noted that data received showed that the demand for water supply on the island was fairly even and that consumption stood at one million gallons daily over the last couple of years. “This has prompted the ministry and by extension the Administration to begin seriously considering increasing the supply of water on the island,” he said.
He pointed out that his ministry had looked at two-desalination plants, one in St. Kitts with a capacity of 900,000 gallons per day and the other in Anguilla with a capacity of 450,000 gallons per day; and concluded that the increased amount would meet the water requirement on the island.
When asked about costing, the Minster noted that there were a number of proposals from various companies before his ministry and that an assessment and recommendation had to be done, with regards as to which company would sell its supply to the administration and the conditions under which that company would negotiate sale to the administration and the people of Nevis.
In looking at the quality of water and the environmental issues associated with having a desalination plant in Nevis, Minister Perkins said that based on the information on hand, the quality was equivalent to the present supply of water on the island. He added, “Based on the various components of the water, it is as safe as it can be, and in terms of the waste, we have looked at what’s happening on St. Kitts and Anguilla and the method of discharge of the brine is quite safe.”
According to Minister Perkins, the project to have a desalination plant could begin this year.
