The Water Services Department is hosting a week of activities (March 22-29) to celebrate World Water Day, which is held annually on March 22nd as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.  

Basseterre, St. Kitts - The staff of the department will be engaging the community by visiting schools, both primary and secondary, and appearing on local radio and television shows to discuss the importance of water in our daily lives and the responsibility we all share in protecting and managing this precious resource. 

In addition, the Water Service Department is co-hosting a 4-day training course together with Caribbean Waternet and Global Water Partnership-Caribbean on “Economic and Financial Instruments for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)” for local and regional experts in both the water and finance sectors.

The theme adopted this year is “Shared Water – Shared Responsibility”.  Water connects us all and thus the responsibility for its care is shared by all.  The government’s responsibility is to ensure accessibility, equity and the productive use of water for development and progress by investing in vital water infrastructure. 

The next level of responsibility lies with the Water Services Department who ensure that all reasonable needs of the customers are met in a timely and efficient manner through the effective management of our water resources.  The work of bringing water from the source to the tap is challenging work that requires a wide variety of disciplines working together.  Finally, personal responsibility is also part of our shared responsibility. 

Private citizens are called on to not use water wastefully; to implement water conservation practices in their household, to repair leaky taps and toilets, to report incidents of abuse or misuse of water, to catch rainwater to irrigate gardens or wash cars, to pay attention to domestic waste disposal practices, to pay their water bill and to respect signage and rules established by the Water Services Department.

“Shared Water – Shared Responsibility” is a call for action; for all of us to work together to manage and utilize our water resources in a sustainable manner.