Silly Season. That's what the press calls the month when all the important people go away on holiday. 
There is no news to report. So, they report silly stories like, “Man bites dog.” It is now only June, but it is silly season in Anguilla. There is nothing worth reporting in the newspapers. Nothing on the radio.
No one has emailed me with any new stories about maladministration in the public service. Nothing about any of the projects being about to fail due to wasteful management. Nothing about the test results on Anguilla's water table.
Was I mistaken, or did I hear on radio a boast from the new water corporation that we are going to abandon the use of desalinized sea water? Desalinized well-water will be cheaper, I heard. We have been consuming desalinized sea water for the past couple of years. Some sixty-five percent (65%) of it is said to be wasted. Illegal hook-ups that we do nothing to prosecute is part of the problem. Leaking joints due to faulty plumbing causes the rest.
Instead, we are going to use the water in Anguilla's water table. I thought we abandoned that resource years ago due to the pollution. Going back to that source will somehow cure the leaking joints?
Hopefully, the leachate problem has been solved. Either that, or, ten years after the change-over, increasing numbers of babies can be expected to be born with three legs and no brain. That won't be silly at all.
I believe the new well water source will be used as feedwater for a new reverse osmosis plant, which will clean it up. This will supplement, not replace, the present R.O. plant at Corito Bay.
ReplyDeleteI hear that retired Permanent Secretary Kenn Banks is our new Acting Water Engineer.
Nobody wants to talk about the perennial political candidate in Road North who was caught steal...uh, sorry, diverting water to his own premises.
We resent your bigoted comments about us, which are obviously motivated by our political ambitions.
ReplyDeleteWe demand that the Constitution be amended to protect the rights of no brainers!
Signed,
Coalition for Anguillians with Three Legs and No Brain
Thank you, anonymous no2,
ReplyDeleteI finally had a smile with Corruption-free Anguilla again.
Is it me or has the humor gone out a bit? It has to be me :')
but if not,
Keep it it up,
for it will probably rain tomorrow.
Love,
the starfish thrower
The first poster is correct. Water from the Brackish Water Plant will supplement, not replace, the water from Reverse Osmosis plant at Crocus Hill. In addition to all of the “Unaccounted For Water”, there are number of other chronic issues affecting the performance of the Water Utility including the fact that the number of persons on the island (tourist, visitors imported labour, etc.) is growing so fast that the plant at Crocus Hill cannot produce enough water to satisfied the level of water consumption. Hence, the need for the additional water production capacity.
ReplyDeleteDue to the difficulty involved in prosecuting offenders, theft of public water in Anguilla has largely been ignored by the water authorities. And according to the press conference because the authorities failed to prosecute a “would-be politician”, it was felt by the authorities that there was no moral or ethical grounds to prosecute other persons caught stealing the public water. In addition, there was a wish to not criminalize persons caught stealing water.
The new legislation will give significant scope to the authorities to prosecute, and fine offenders without necessarily criminalizing the offenders.
Unit cost of producing water
It is known fact world wide that Seawater Desalination plants are much more expenses to acquire install and maintain than brackish water desalination plants. With the escalating cost of oil, the Water Corporation would be trying to reduce the unit cost of water production and hopefully in due course the savings can be passed onto the consumers.
Testing of Water
The new legislation allows for the Environmental Health Department to undertake the necessary testing of the public water supply to ensure that water meets international standards for potable water. The Environmental Health Department is process of restoring is operations to full capacity. There is always the option to have the water tested by regional and international laboratories.
With respect to the second poster – Mr Kenn Banks is the chairman of the Shadow/Interim Board of the Water Corporation of Anguilla and not the acting Water Engineer. Mr. Vanroy Hodge is the Acting Water Engineer/Manager.
I have a silly season question unrelated to water. It is fodder for a different blog entry.
ReplyDeleteJune 13 was to be the day when the renewed Dolphinarium court case was to convene. Did it? If so, what happened?
I am glad to hear that finally some energy and money is being spent in this area. Hopefully the expansion of capacity in water production will benefit us here in the East, who are at present apparently too far from the Crosus Hill facility to deserve a regular water supply.
ReplyDeleteI recenly moved to Anguilla from another Caribbean island. My apartment only has "government water" no access to cistern water. I am flabbergasted by the lack of service delivery of this vital natural resource - about every week or so we have to do without water for a couple of days - without warning or explanation! (The air running in the pipes when we check if the water is back on still keeps the meter rotating though!) Even on normal days the water pressure is ridiculously low - try and keep yourself and the dishes clean with only a trickle coming from the tap, at best.
I am having a hard time believing that prosperous Anguilla has not yet managed to supply its population in the East of the island with a reliable supply of water. I hear that some of the hotels are also subject to the same problem. The ancient romans had this problem nailed some 2500 years ago... Wake up Anguilla, this is NOT good enough for a place that seeks to attract residents, visitors and investors.
Procedural and housekeeping matters were agreed and trial has tentatively been set for 5 and 6 October, because the High Court does not sit in August and the September calendar is already full.
ReplyDeleteHaving watched the water system being installed, would only advise that the water department get up to date training. It has improved BUT is still not done with pollution and back flow taken into account. I have seen open pipes and no vacuum brakes on new installation. Pipe run openly on the ground. One day they will find that the tank is drained from a brake or the system contaminated from reverse flow.
ReplyDelete