BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – EVEN with a relatively high percentage of rainfall experienced in recent weeks, the potable water levels remain low and the Water Department is reminding citizens and residents to utilise the life-saving element sparingly as the Federation continues to be affected by drought-like conditions.
Yesterday (Feb. 15), Acting Manager at the Water Service Department Dennison Paul explained that last month the Federation again recorded below average rainfall when compared with the same period last year.
He said this follows the deficit from the previous year.
“The forecast for 2016 was projected to be basically the same, and that is already coming to fruition. If you track our rainfall volume for January 2016, it is well less than 2015. Going to February, again the levels look low although we had some rainfall.”
This announcement comes on the heels of the Caribbean Emergency Disaster Management Agency (CDEMA) placing a number of islands under drought watch, including the St. Kitts and Nevis.
“The long term outlook, beyond March 2016, will see a drier early part of the year in the Lesser Antilles due to a peak in the strength of El Niño. This may lead to drought concerns towards the end of the Caribbean dry season that is May 31, 2016. A drought watch is therefore issued for the Bahamas and southwest Belize during this period,” CEDMA noted.
According to Paul, in 2015 the Federation recorded approximately 22 to 24 inches of rainfall below the normal 50-plus inches, which resulted in widespread water rationing.
“I am taking this opportunity to inform the public that they should continue to use water wisely to conserve as much as they can. We outlined a number of guidelines last year which included no watering and irrigation of grass. If you are going to irrigate your ornamental plants, we recommend that it be done with a bucket or a container,” Paul advised.
Farmers were also urged to conserve water by using the drip irrigation rather than the spray system.
Asked how is the Federation’s water supply and if the full fledged rationing would be imposed, Paul indicated that with the dry period expected to run into the Hurricane season, the rationing period could again be fully implemented around the island, since a number of areas are in a critical state.
“The forecast is that from January to June - the first half of the year - to be the same as last year or even worse. Our levels are not much improved than they were last year in the worse of the drought in July and August.”
In 2015, a number of sectors were hard hit by the conditions of El Niño, from agriculture to tourism, and Paul declared that they were “unable to provide water for the cruise ships”.
The Water Services Manager pointed out that they remain vigilant to individuals who are wasting water, as they have in recent times disconnect some residents and business entities.
