Extreme rainfall in Grenada has damaged the National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA) water system by $880,000.
This is roughly 60% higher than Hurricane Beryl’s water infrastructure damage in Grenada.
NAWASA said that Grenada witnessed unusual weather conditions over the past 11 days, with torrential rains causing widespread flooding, landslides, and significant damage to its operations.
These catastrophes damaged dam intakes, transmission lines and water treatment plants, while landslides caused pipelines and all Grand Anse and True-Blue sewage pump stations to flood.
The first event, on Friday, November 8, brought 174.08mm (7 inches) of rain to Grand Roy and Concord over 18 hours, with an average of 127.31mm (5 inches) across the island. Initial deluge affected 50% of NAWASA’s water production systems.
As saturated soil from prior rains increased vulnerabilities, November 13, 17, and 18/19 events aggravated the devastation.
Due to high demand and network issues, Annandale and Peggy’s Whim took almost four days to recharge.
As climate change threats mount, NAWASA is taking proactive steps to improve its resilience to extreme weather events.
