BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IT is a known fact that water accounts for approximately two-thirds of the human body and is responsible for the proper functioning of many health systems needed for survival, including the brain. But why do we waste it?
This is the question being asked by some concerned residents. And in response, the Federal Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has decided to take certain measures to conserve on this life-sustaining resource and to render advice on the curbing of its wastage.
In an exclusive interview with SKNVibes, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister with responsibility for Public Utilities the Hon. Dr. Earl Asim Martin is of the view that households are the major contributors to water wastage.
The interview was conducted shortly after Dr. Martin had concluded his address at the re-launching of the ‘Conscious Water Wise Public Awareness Campaign’ held yesterday (May 8) at the Independence Square.
He was asked about some of the celebratory events, such as Las’ Lap during the Carnival season, when people are being 'hosed-down' with water.
“Well, we can’t talk about events because those are a small portion of water wastage, but the large component of water wastage happens in the household,” the Minister said.
He explained that in 2012 an audit was conducted with the assistance of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean, which pointed out several areas that water is being wasted within the Federation.
The audit, he said, also outlined the quantity levels to which water was being wasted and what is being done for future “conservation of the resource”.
“It is out of that audit that we did two years ago that we were able to launch this project today… as a means of sensitising our citizens of ways in which they are able to conserve the usage of water in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
The Minister made several recommendations that homeowners or any family member could apply to avoid water wastage.
“Some basic things that you can do in your household to curb water wastage are to check your taps to make sure that they are turned off; check your toilets in terms of leakage to make sure that there are no broken pipes; and also make sure that the way in which we use water when we are washing our dishes and when we are bathing.”
He stated that as a Federation, when compared with other islands within the OECS which population is much larger, residents consume the same amount of water per day or a little less.
