- Antigua hints at purchasing water from Trinidad
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has intimated that the state-owned Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) may purchase water from a Trinidad and Tobago-based corporation, as well as expressed his unhappiness with the island’s persistent water crisis.
Browne stated on his weekly radio show that despite his administration investing enormous amounts in dealing with the water situation over the last few years, the problem persists.
The APUA has been asked to assess two proposals, one from a local company, Caribbean Water Treatment, and the other from a company based in Trinidad and Tobago.
“We will buy water, if not from Caribbean Water Treatment, a Trinidad-based company.” “I know APUA is looking at the two proposals right now to see which firms can meet their needs,” Browne added, hinting at the prospect of privatising some parts of the APUA.
“Our preference would be to work with a local company, assuming it can meet our needs and work within the established timelines.” If it doesn’t work, we’ll have to do something drastic to address the country’s water crisis.”
Browne also expressed his displeasure with APUA’s Water Division administration during his radio show.
“I still believe that the APUA management can do far better with the distribution but we have exhausted that discussion now to the extent that I don’t know what else to say to them,” he said listeners on the radio.
Browne anticipates that improvements will occur in the coming year, with an additional reverse osmosis facility expected to be online by the second half of 2024, producing three million gallons of water per day.
Furthermore, the re-piping process is underway to address the 20% water loss due to leaks from ageing pipes, with Browne stating that he cannot understand why some consumers have been without water for weeks at a time, despite the fact that more than seven million gallons are produced daily, with a daily demand of around nine million.
