Cawasa e source newsletter july to september 2012

In thIs Issue

July to September 2012 | Vol. 4 No. 3Caribbean Water and Sewage Association Inc.

Secretariat News Page 2 and 3 Managing Caribbean Waste Water Pages 3 and 4 Desalination: Is it worth the cost? Page 5World Without Water? Pages 6 and 7

HealthBenefitsofWater Page 8 ClimateChangeChallengesfor Caribbean Water Page 9 Rain Water Harvesting Barbados-style Back Page

The Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Manage-ment (CReW) is a four-year project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with the Inter-American De-velopment Bank (IDB) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the co-implementing agencies. Earlier this year, UNEP CAR/RCU, as the regional execut-ing agency, signed a small-scale funding agreement SSFA with CAWASA to coordinate four tasks on Wastewater Manage-ment in the English speaking Ca-ribbean countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname.

ReportforBaselineAssessment

One of the tasks involved is the conduct of a regional base-line assessment on wastewater management.

The CAWASA Secretariat en-gaged the World Water and Waste-water Solutions (WWWS) to iden-tify an appropriate baseline to assist in the design and implementation of future capacity building activities. The consultant was expected to provide the following:• An overview of wastewater

treatment in the participating countries including policies, legislation and regulations and recommendations for regional harmonization and improved enforcement;

• An overview of existing lab ca-pacity to support wastewater ef-fluentmonitoringanditsimpactson the marine environment;

• Anupdateofthenationalcoun-try profiles developed in theProject Preparation Phase;

• Recommendations on prioritytraining needs for wastewater professionals in thebeneficiarycountries;

• Recommendations for improv-ing the current knowledge, at-

titudes, behaviors and practices on wastewater management in the region;

• Guidance to participating utili-ties in a self-assessment of their strengths and weaknesses;

• Recommendations on key in-stitutional entry points in each country for future capacity building and training including media and educational institu-tions for sustainability.

The main activities of the base-line assessment were executed during August and September (2012) and the consultant submit-ted a Draft Baseline Assessment Reportforreviewandverificationin October. Another component of this task is a review of the status of the Land Based Sources of pollution (LBS) Protocol in the participating countries. This exercise is being undertaken by Consultant Patricia Prudent-Phillips and a report was expected bythefirstweekofNovember2012.

Operational Assessment Workshop

Plans are well advanced for WWWS to conduct a two-day Operational Assessment Workshop in Saint Lucia on from the 3rd to 4th December 2012. The workshop will coin-cide with the hosting of the Annual General Meeting of CAWASA on 5th December 2012. Following the workshop, the consultants will visit at least three selected utilities participating in the CReW project, to conduct a fol-low-up operational assess-ment on utility wastewater management. At the end of this, the con-sultants are expected to submit an Operational Assessment Report to the management of each utility, as well as to CAWASA.

CAWASA and UNEP Host Operational Assessment Workshop

CAWASA and UNEP Assessing Caribbean Waste Water Management

e-SourcePage 2 July to September 2012 | Vol. 4 No. 3

The Caribbean Water and Sewerage Associa-tion Inc. (CAWASA Inc.), in collaboration with the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) is organizing a two-day Workshop on “Wastewater Operations and Maintenance” to be held in Dominica from 26-27th November 2012. Twenty-five (25) participants from water andwastewater utilities that are members of CAWA-SA, as well as CEHI Member-States, are expected to attend the workshop. The workshop will focus on the safe and effec-tive operations and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants and will provide participants with hands-on practice in the operations and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants. This workshop has come against the backdrop of an initiative by the Global Environment Fa-cility Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management (GEF CReW) to reform Wastewater Management in the Caribbean. It will address the current challenges facing wastewater management in the Caribbean, espe-cially the knowledge and skills needed to manage wastewater treatment systems and facilities. The workshop is also intended to complement other operational activities planned for imple-mentation by CAWASA and CEHI as part of their general program, as well as CReW project-related activities. At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understandbasichydraulics related toopen-flowchannelasitrelatestosewersnotflowingfull;

• Readandinterpret thebasicdesignofwaste-water treatment plants;

• Understandthesourcesofwastewatergenera-tion, types and quality wastewater;

• Differentiatebetweendifferenttypesofwaste-water treatment plant;

• Undertaketheoperationsandmaintenanceofwastewater treatment plants;

CAWASA Secretariat News

• Assumeresponsibilitiesofwastewateropera-tors to implement health and safety measures, laboratoryanalysisandeffluentquality;

• AppreciatetheDo’sandDon’tsduringoperationsand maintenance of treatment plant and sewerage.

It is expected that the region will have a cadre of utility operations and maintenance personnel who have acquired relevant knowledge and skills as well as practical experience in the operations and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants. (More on Waste Water on Pages 3 and 4).

The Dominica meeting will seek to upgrade the performance of wastewater operations managers across the Caribbean.

Recent studies on the Caribbean water and sanita-tion sector acknowledge the fact that there is a growing problem of water quality management in the region. In most cases, the reports recommend skills training and professional certification forwaterand wastewater Operators and Analysts as one of the approaches necessary to tackle the quality management problem. TheABC/CAWASAIncOperatorCertificationprogramme administered by the CAWASA Sec-retariat has been gradually gaining acceptance among the management of Caribbean Water and Wastewater utilities as the basis for classifying their systems and facilities as well as for certify-ing their operators and analysts.

CAWASA seeks CARICOM Accreditation for Operator Certification Programme

The CAWASA Secretariat is exploring oppor-tunities to expand the reach of the programme among the operators of private water and waste-water systems or facilities in the sector such as breweries, distilleries, hotels, bottled water com-panies and manufacturers. In this regard, the CAWASA Inc Secretariat wrote to theAccreditationOfficer at theCARI-COM Secretariat requesting formal recognition of the programme by Governments of the Carib-bean Community (CARICOM). The CAWASA Inc Secretariat submitted de-tails of the programme for consideration of the programme contents and is awaiting a response to the request for formal accreditation.

CAWASAisseekingaccreditationfromtheCARICOMSecretariatinGeorgetown,Guyana.

CAWASA’s representatives attended the8th High Level Session of Caribbean Water Ministers held on 4th and 5th October 2012. The Ministerial Forum focused on the theme “The Water and Energy Nexus in Caribbean Development,” was attended by ministers responsible for water from Baha-mas, Dominica, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Nevis and St. Kitts. Guyana and Saint Lucia were represented by their Permanent Secretaries. The session comprised seven sessions, each covering a topic of interest to the ministers. In Session 1, the presenters examined re-gional experiences and lessons relating to energy and water. Session 2 looked at sus-tainable energy options for the water sector while Session 3 discussed the implications of climate change for water. In Session 4, regional institutions gave an update on their water resource management activities while in Session 5 a representative of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) gave an overview of water re-source management at the ministerial level in Africa. Session 6 took the form of a Panel Discus-sion where the ministers gave their perspec-tives on national and regional issues and so-lutions for a water secure Caribbean. During Session 7, the ministers reached con-sensus on the main conclusions of the Forum and approved resolutions for future action.

8th High Level Session of Caribbean

Water Ministers attended by

CAWASA

CEHI and CAWASA Collaborate on Waste Water Operations and Maintenance

Dominica to host Waste Water Workshop in June

e-Source Page 3 July to September 2012 | Vol. 4 No. 3

CAWASA Secretariat News

Mr. Bernard Ettinoffe, President and Mr. Victor Poyotte, Executive Director, repre-sented CAWASA at the recently-concluded 21st Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Caribbean Water and Wastewater As-sociation (CWWA) held from 1-5th October 2012 at the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas. Participation of CAWASA was made possible with financial assistance from theUnited Nations Environmental Programme, Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit (UNEP-CAR/RCU). At theofficialopeningceremony,Mr.Et-tinoffe delivered brief remarks on behalf of CAWASA. He also gave the audience a sum-mary of the main regional initiatives current-ly undertaken by CAWASA.

CAWASA officials attend 21st Annual CWWA Conference

in The Bahamas

At the joint Global Water Operators Alli-ance (GWOPA) and Caribbean Water Opera-tors (CariWOPS) workshop the CAWASA President, bernard Etinoffe, delivered brief opening remarks while the Executive Direc-tor, Victor Poyotte, made a presentation on the achievements of CariWOP during the past year. Mr. Jose Luis Martin Bordes, Programme Officer ofGWOPAmade apresentationonLessons Learnt and the Future of the WOP-LAC regional platform. AnofficialoftheUSAIDmadeapresenta-tion on the USAID Programme “Water and Knowledge.” Mr. Jose Luis Martin Bordes, Programme OfficerofGWOPAheldameetingwiththeExecutive Director of CAWASA to discuss weaknesses in the current administration of the Caribbean Water Operators (CariWOPS). They also examined a range of options aimed at strengthening the regional platform.

CAWASA attends GWOPA Workshop

A special workshop was recently held, aimed at introducing the Operator Certifi-cation Programme to Caribbean Water and Wastewater Operators and Analysts. The topics covered include: certificationpolicies, institutional arrangements, inspec-tionandclassificationofsystemsandfacili-ties, operator training, examination admin-istration, certificate renewal andbenefits ofcertification. The Executive Director of CAWASA made a formal presentation and answered ques-tions from participants relating to the Opera-torCertificationexaminations. He also distributed brochures and oth-er materials providing information on the courses available, fees and sources from which the students can obtain text books re-quired for the programme.

Executive Director Attended Water

Operator Certification Workshop

In August 2012, the CAWASA Secretariat signed an agreementwiththefirmofPEMConsult/Dunn,Pierre,Barnett & Company Limited, to provide support for carrying out a Labour Market Needs Assessment sur-vey in Saint Lucia. The survey commenced 28th August and ended 20th October and forms part of the OECS Skills for Inclusive Growth Project. In keeping with the agreement, the CAWASA Secre-tariat assumed responsibility for the overall coordina-tion, direction, quality assurance and reporting of the

CAWASA Supports Saint Lucia Labour Market Assessmentlocal survey team. Activities undertaken by the Secretariat included the training of enumerators, supervision of the data collec-tion process, as well as organization of a series of focus group sessions at four locations on the island. The sessions were held in Gros islet, Dennery, Vieux Fort and Soufriere and the consultants lectured on is-sues that included: Tourism and Hospitality, Construc-tion, ICT, Agriculture/Agri-Business, Manufacturing, Youth, Job Seekers, Education and TVET (Technical and Vocational Education Training).

A two-day stakeholder workshop focusing on The Impact of Water and Climate on Development Within the Caribbean took place in St. Lucia on November 15 and 16, bringing together key players within the Carib-bean in the area of Climate Change. Theparticipantsprovidedinputintothefinalizationof the Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) Implementation Plan that was adopted by CARICOM Heads of Government in March 2012. The WACDEP is geared towards a Regional Frame-work for Achieving Development Resilience to Cli-mate Change. The information gathered during the workshop is being shared among the various stakeholder groups throughout the region as they too engage in formulat-ing their own policies. The WACDEP initiative will be monitored and eval-uated over the course of the next three years, by which time the stakeholders will make the necessary adjust-ments to enhance the region's water supply. The 27 participants came from 10 territories within the Caribbean region and represented various disci-plines, including planning, water resource agencies, Climate Change, agencies and forestry. It is the believed that the real and positive changes regarding the region's water supply will only be real-ized when there is a more conscious effort on the part of the populace to gain an appreciation for what's at stake. SaintLucia’sPermanentSecretaryintheMinistryofPublic Service, Sustainable Development, Energy, Sci-ence and Technology, Sylvester Clauzel, was one of the featured speakers. Clauzel referenced the situation that was playing out at the island's main water supply, WASCO, where employees staged a ‘sit-out’ over outstanding wageissues. “The issues surrounding water are broad,” he indicated. "Although there are only about 10% of the workers on strike, because of the strategic areas that those 10% of workers are involved in, it obviously does have an impact on the provision of water, particularly in the northern part of the island where we have the hotel plants, our main economic drivers," Clauzel said.

In May 2012, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) launched an initiative to undertake an ini-tial assessment of the state of the Water Sector in CDB’sBorrowingMemberCountries (BMCs. Thecountries being assessed are: Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Belize, Guyana, The Bahamas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Montserrat, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Dom-inica, St. Lucia, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Is-lands, Grenada, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The CDB selected Cole Engineering as the main consultant for the study, one of the main purposes of which is for the CDB to gain an understanding of the policies, systems and practices in water resource management and to develop improved strategies. The main objective of the CDB Study is to identify the principal development challenges and needs fac-ing individual countries and the Caribbean region, inthecontextoffinancingopportunitiesforCDB. The study will: (a) evaluate the role of regional institutions and active funding agencies in water sector in the Caribbean; (b) prepare water sector profilesandconductinitialassessmentsonthestateof water sector in individual BMCs; and (c) conduct

apreliminaryassessmentofCDB’spoliciesandin-volvement in water sector in its BMCs. Specificattentionwillbepaidtotheexistenceandefficacyofpoliciesandsystemstoreducetherisksto the sector associated with climate change.

Regional collaborationwouldbebeneficialtotheimprovement of the sector; and (b) potential areas of focus for CDB interventions in water sector in its BMCs. The study will involve assessments of role of re-gional organisations, assessments of role of funding agencies,thepreparationofwatersectorprofilesintheCDBBMC’sandtheevaluationofpotentialroleof the bank. It will also involve a review of relevant CDB policy and strategy documents related to water sec-tor with emphasis on water supply, environmental management and agriculture. The consultants are expected to make recommen-dations on the areas of strategic focus for potential CDB interventions in water sector in the region. The CAWASA Secretariat is providing adminis-trative support to the consultants.

CAWASA Supports CDB Regional Water Sector Review

"The point being made here is that when we speak about Climate Change's impact on water, it's not just about purely environmental issues. We're also dealing with industrial relations and managing workers and managing people." Clauzel added that the devastating effects of Hur-ricane Tomas on the island's infrastructure resulted in additional stress toWASCO's financial viability andthe utility's ability to adequately supply its consumers with potable water on a regular basis. Other speakers included Ermath Harrington, con-sultant/facilitator of the WACDEP programme for the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C); Avril Alexander, Regional Coordinator, Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C); Trevor Thompson, Chair, Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C); and Carlos Fuller, Deputy Director, Caribbean Com-munity Climate Change Centre (CCCCC). CAWASA wasrepresentedbyProgramOfficerSuzanneJoseph.The Voice.

Stakeholders discuss Caribbean Water Security in St. Lucia

Permanent Secretary in St. Lucia’s Water Ministry, Sylvester Clauzel, said Climate Change is not only

about environmental issues but also about handling and managing workers.


Waste Water Management

The Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management (CReW) -- a four-year project which beganin2011andisfinancedbyaspecialarrange-ment that involves the Global Environmental Fa-cility (GEF), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Governments of some Caribbean countries--hosteditsfirstRegionalWorkshopinBelize City, (Belize) on September 18th and 19th (2012) to introduce the concept of Revolving Funds. Revolvingfundsareamongthemoreflexible,innovative and effective financial managementmechanismsthatcanprovidesustainablefinanc-ing for the development of much-needed waste-water treatment facilities, which are costly prop-ositions for regional governments struggling to maintain those that already exist. A 2009 UNEP report entitled “Assessment of Wastewater Management in the Caribbean” found untreated domestic wastewater had severe consequences for coastal ecosystems in the Wider Caribbean region. This has resulted in: increased fishmortalityand native effects on commercial fisheries; de-clines in coral reefs estimated to cost the region up to US $870 million by 2050; threats to human health and threats to the tourism sector. Belize is one of four participating countries in which GEF-CReW is piloting financing mecha-nisms that can be used to provide sustainable financing for environmentally sound and cost-effective wastewater management. US $5million of GEF-CReW funds are being provided directly to the Government of Belize as a capitalization grant for Belize Wastewater Re-volving Fund (BWRF) to establish a regional sew-age collection, treatment and disposal system for the Placencia Peninsula. ThisisthefirstgenerationprojectoftheBWRF,which will provide zero or below market interest loans for eligible wastewater treatment projects. The Ministry of Finance is the pilot executing agency for the BWRF. Eligible projects include lo-cal wastewater projects that advance the obliga-tionsoftheCartagenaConvention’sLand-basedSources of Pollution (LBS) Protocol, the only le-

gally binding regional agreement for the protec-tion and development of the Caribbean Sea. The LBS Protocol entered into force in 2010, committing signatories to making major im-provements in wastewater management.

Caribbean experts assess financing mechanisms for Wastewater Management

Untreated domestic wastewater has severe consequences for coastal ecosystems in the Wider Caribbean region. It has resulted in increased fish mortality and native effects on commercial fisheries; declines in coral reefs

estimated to cost the region up to US $870 million by 2050; threats to human health and threats to the tourism sector.

The Workshop sought to provide participants -- who came from the Caribbean Development Bank(CDB)andutility,financeandenvironmen-talsectorsinCReW’sthirteenparticipatingcoun-tries (Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Gren-adines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago) -- with a broad view of the operation of revolving funds with particular reference to the experience in de-veloping countries. It is also expected to assist the pilot countries in the operation and design of their own national funding mechanisms to be developed under the GEF-CReW Project, and, promote a network of expertise that could facilitate the replication and/or development of similar funding mechanisms in other non-pilot Caribbean countries. Martin Baker, an environmental lawyer with extensive experience in the planning, financingand operation of water, wastewater and other in-frastructure projects in Latin America, Asia, East-ern Europe and the Gulf States, led the Workshop. Peter Shanaghan, Team Leader of the National Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Program for the Office of Ground Water andDrinking Water, United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) shared their experi-ence in operation of revolving funds. Paul Marchetti, an Economist and Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure In-vestment Authority (PENNVEST) since 1988, shared practical experience in maintaining, re-plenishing and growing revolving funds. The GEF-CReW Project aims to provide sus-tainablefinancingforthewastewatersector,sup-port policy and legislative reforms and foster re-gional dialogue and knowledge exchange among key stakeholders in the Wider Caribbean Region.

DANGEROUS PRACTICE: Raw waste disposed directly into the sea attracts both fish and fishers, but is a dangerous and costly practice.

HEALTHY PRACTICE: For many years hotel waste from the North of the island has been treated at this WASCO wastewater treatment facility at Beausejour.

e-Source Page 5 July to September 2012 | Vol. 4 No. 3

DesalinationTurning ‘Sea Water’ into ‘Drinking Water’Without any other sources for freshwater, desalination is quickly becoming vital to many regions. St. Martin’s desalination plant is run by France’s Veolia Water Caribbean

Desalination of seawater, brack-ish groundwater or river water for a public potable water supply is increasingly being considered. This method of securing wa-ter supply can be found in areas where water demand has been in-creasing beyond sustainable sup-ply and where water sources are fragile and climate change is mak-ing previously reliable sources un-reliable. Rapidly increasing populations are also placing pressure on exist-ing water sources, forcing govern-ments to turn to desalination to provide additional water supplies when existing sources are fully ex-tended. There is also potential for desal-ination to process already treated wastewater, normally returned to the environment, to a higher quality level for use in industry or mining processing, thus taking in-dustrial demand away from pub-lic water supplies. Desalination for major public supply is not only used in Barba-dos and other areas in the Carib-bean, but it is already employed fairly extensively in areas the Mid-dle East and North Africa, Austra-lia, Southern Europe, China, Sin-

gapore and the USA. Desalination is an expensive undertaking, but is becoming more economically viable as the technology improves. Desalina-tion plants can be provided in a wide range of outputs to cater for small isolated communities or to contribute substantially to water supplies for large cities and even for irrigation (Spain, United Arab Emirates). One of the processes for desali-nation is reverse osmosis (RO). It is a membrane separation process in which the water from a pressur-ized saline solution is separated from the dissolved material by flowingthroughamembrane.Noheating is necessary for this sepa-ration. The major energy required for desalination is for pressurizing the feed water, typically up to 62 atmospheres for seawater. In principle, the saline feed water is pumped into a closed vessel where it is pressurized to over-come the osmotic pressure of the solution before diffusing through the membrane. As a portion of the water passes through the mem-brane, the remaining feed water increases in salt content. This por-

tion of this feed water is then dis-charged without passing through the membrane. A Brackwish Water Reverse Os-mosis (BWRO) desalination plant at Spring Garden in Barbados is used by the Barbados Water Au-thority (BWA) to reduce the over-all energy requirements and pro-vide high-quality potable water to a section of the island.

Desalination Around The World Drier and warmer climates, the unyielding movement of the world’s ruralpeople tocitiesandthe need to fortify supplies have dramatically increased the need for alternatives to fresh water. This has led Metropolitan and national governmentsonfivecontinentstothe building of record numbers of desalination plants to produce drinking water from the sea. Overthelastfiveyears,anaver-age of 800 new desalination plants have been constructed annually, according to various industrial re-ports, and the global market could reach $58 billion a year. In 2006 and 2007 alone, accord-ing to Global Water Intelligence, an industry research group that tracks water trends, the world’s

desalination capacity grew 43% and since 1990 has experienced an average annual growth rate of 17%. About 14,380 desalination plants operate across the world, said Global Water Intelligence, with a total contracted capacity of 62 million cubic meters, or 16.3 bil-lion gallons, per day. The Middle East has long been the dominant market, with Saudi Arabia producing more than 10 million cubic meters a day and the United Arab Emirates producing almost 8.5 million cubic meters a day, according to Global Water Intelligence. The United States is now the world’s third leading builder ofdesalination plants. Other top markets are Spain, Kuwait, Alge-ria, China, Qatar, Japan and Aus-tralia. Almost two-thirds of all desali-nation plants use seawater, with 19 percent drawing from brackish sources. Caribbean islands such as Trini-dad, Cayman Islands, the Baha-mas, St. Martin and Bermuda are among countries in the world that have tuned to desalination.

Desalination is an expensive undertaking, but is becoming more economically viable as the technology improves…


The Spectre of a Whole Wide World Without Water

It’shardtoimagineour–orourcountry -- world without water. Butit’squitepossible.Anditcouldhappen sooner than we think or wouldwant–andinourlifetime,as well. Yes, there’s more water thanearth on Earth. But there’s notenough drinking water for ev-eryone on Earth; and ifwe don’tmend our ways, we may very well see ourselves causing the world to die of thirst.Impossible?Thinkagain. Just look at our own Caribbean islands and continental territo-ries. Our rivers are drying fast in St. Lucia and other Windward Is-lands due to a combination of bad ecological practices, while exist-ing water sources are becoming increasingly under threat from contamination and several other factors. Hurricanes and erratic weather patterns continue to create havoc with water dams while Climate Change continues to create in-creasing periods of worsening droughts, reducing water avail-ability and increasing demand. And, to crown it all, national wa-ter companies are coming under increasing financial pressure as aresult of lower incomes from high-er debts due to the declining eco-nomic situation in most countries and increasing pressure on income earners and unemployed alike. Governments find it harder tofund water expansion and consum-ers continue to neglect paying wa-ter bills while spending many times more on purchasing bottled water. In the Caribbean, underground water resource reserves are scarce. We depend more on rain and river water, both of which are under pressure in the continuing battles between Man and Nature. We, in these parts of our world, are fully surrounded by sea water. But the cost of desalination is pro-hibitive at most, very costly at least. The continental Caribbean coun-tries (Belize, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, etc) are blessed with large and long rivers, but there too the water pressures exist, even though with different mani-festations. In Guyana, for exam-ple, the sheer size of the country (83,000 square miles) makes distri-bution of piped drinking water a very daunting task. In all Caribbean territories, people still haven’t been brought

EDITORIALWorld Without Water?

to equal levels of understanding or appreciation of the importance of saving, conserving and protect-ing water. Water companies still have topublish annualDO’s andDON’Tstoeducateandencourageconsumers about the importance of water conservation. We’veneverfacedaregion-wideor even a national fatal drought of the types we see on TV in other parts of our world. There are no international news reports about Caribbean children dying of thirst due to unavailability of or access to drinkingwater.Wethereforedon’tsee ourselves as among those in this whole wide world who would or could be affected by the real-ity, far less the notion of “a world without water”. Butwe’dbemakingaverybigmistake if we, anywhere in the Caribbean, continue to take false comfort in our current ease of availability and access to drinking water, whether from our pipes or plastic bottles. International studies have prov-en that ifwedon’tgetouract to-gether around the world (includ-ing the Caribbean) we stand to see a world without water by 2030 –just17yearsfromnow.Someofthe experts disagree on how soon it could happen, but all agree that it is possible for us to see, in our lifetime, “a world without water”. (See accompanying article entitled “Waterless in 2030”) Still unconvinced? Still in doubt? Skeptics are encouraged and in-vitedtogoalloutandfindout.Butthose who care, who’ve seen thesigns and who better understand the woes the world will face with-outwater,justcan’twaituntilev-eryone else is convinced. The pace at which we are caus-ing water to disappear, decrease or simply go away, seems faster than the pace of education and re-alization. It therefore means more needs to be done to reverse the trend, even while intensifying lo-cal, regional and global efforts at sensitizing the world to the reality of the danger of a waterless world.CAWASA remains as committed as ever to the cause of the preserva-tion, conservation and protection oftheCaribbean’swaterresourcesand to the process of education to avert the ever woeful and wretch-ed reality of even the consideration of the real fact that we can see “a world without water”.

WHAT?

A recent study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (sponsored by Oracle Utilities) reveals that if wa-ter utilities plan on meeting water supply, large-scale infrastructure investments must be made—or else demand will outstrip supply by 2030. The study, entitled “Water for All?”, compared the water resource management strategies of 10 coun-tries—the US, Canada, UK, Aus-tralia, France, Spain, Brazil, Russia, India and China—and surveyed 244 water utility managers and ex-ecutives, including 20 “in-depth” interviews with water executives and independent experts. The participants’ answerers ledresearchers to conclude that while water providers are optimistic about their ability to meet future

demand, that ability will be ampli-fied or hampered by governmentaction and consumer education -- and all water purveyors will have to “think outside the box.” “The leading overall response to water stress in the future is ex-pected to be a sharp focus on de-mand management,” explains a statement released by Oracle in relation to the report. “This repre-sentsashiftinutilities’traditionalemphasis on continuing to supply increasing quantities of water in re-sponse to increasing demand.” Meanwhile, developing coun-tries have a tougher row to hoe. The study’s surveyofwater re-source management strategies in the developing world reveals that climate change and erratic weather patternswillincreasinglyinfluence

Waterless in 2030?

Scientists and Executives differ on how quickly and

by how much, but all agree that world demand for

water can outstrip supply in just 17 years…

In some countries water is already so scarce that it's locked away from free access. What'll it be like if it all runs out by 2030?

e-Source Page 7July to September 2012 | Vol. 4 No. 3

1

The Spectre of a Whole Wide World Without Water.

the creation and maintenance of in-frastructure in those countries. “Utilities in the developing coun-tries, in contrast, are more likely to focus on rolling-out or expanding basic infrastructure,” states the report.

Otherkeyfindings:

* Increased water stress by 2030: Due to growing demand for wa-ter caused by increasing popula-tions, changing climate patterns and wasteful consumer behav-ior, 39% of executives surveyed believe that the risk of national water demand outstripping sup-

ply by 2030 is “highly likely,” while 54% believe such a risk is “moderately likely”. Failure to address this could result in sig-nificant economic, social, andhealth implications.

* Barriers to conservation: Forty-five percent (45%) of utilities—especially in developed mar-kets—see wasteful consumer behavior as their biggest barrier to progress, while another 33% believe tariffs are too low to stimulate greater investment.

In developing countries, a lack of capital for investment tops the list (41%), while worries over climate change stand third overall (34%).

* Encouraging consumer engage-ment: Half of respondents (49%) believe pricing structures need to be changed to encourage con-servation, while less than four in 10 water utilities think water prices must be held down to en-sure fair access to water for all (38%). With consumer behavior being the biggest barrier to con-servation, it is critical for water utilities to engage with consum-ers to overcome this challenge.

* Increased investment: Almost all respondents stated that they are increasing investment to meet supply challenges (93%), with

more than one in five (22%) in-creasing investment by 15% or more within the next three years.

* Innovative industry: Prompted by necessity, the water sector is becoming an increasingly promi-nent innovator, due to the imple-mentation technologies such as smart meters and desalination solutions.For instance,one-fifth(20%) of water utilities in devel-oped markets regularly evaluate new technologies, compared to one-third of developing coun-tries. However, more water utili-ties must improve their ability to identify and implement such advances, with over one-third (36%) unaware of the innovation options available to them.

* Stumbling blocks: Drought and increased water pollution are seen by respondents as the big-gest risks faced by water utili-ties and are considered the most likely to occur. Similarly, half of respondents polled felt that that information and support from government bodies is lacking; while 43% recognize they must develop their management tech-niques to more precisely mod-el future water availability or

rainfall.

The spectre of a world without water is already real in many countries in the developing world where parched earth and dried rivers leave millions who never knew pipes wondering whether they will ever cease depending on the heavens for water.


Lose weight: Drinking water helps lose weight because it flushesdowntheby-productsoffatbreakdown.Drinkingwaterreduc-eshunger.It’saneffectiveappetitesuppressantsoyou’lleatless.Pluswater has zero calories.

NaturalRemedy forHeadache: Helps to relieve headache and back pains due to dehydration. Although many reasons contribute to headache, dehydration is the common one.LookYoungerwithHealthierSkin:You’lllookyoungerwhenyourskinis properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increases skin elasticity.

Better Productivity at Work: You brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrated.

Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body tem-perature.Thatmeansyou’llfeelmoreenergeticwhendoingexercises.Water also helps to fuel your muscle.

Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drink-ing water raises your metabolism because it helps in digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.

Less Cramps and Sprains: Proper hydration helps keepyourjointsandmuscleslubricated,soyou’lllesslikelygetcrampsand sprains.

LessLikelytoGetSickandFeelHealthy: Drinkingplentyofwaterhelpsfightagainstfluandotherailmentslikekidney stones and heart attack. Water adds with lemon is used for ail-ments like respiratory disease, intestinal problems, rheumatism and ar-thritisetc.Inanotherwordsoneofthebenefitsofdrinkingwateristhatit can improve you immune system.

RelievesFatigue:Waterisusedbythebodytohelpflushout toxins and waste products from the body. If you body lacks water, your heart, for instance, needs to work harder to pump out the oxygen-ated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so will you. Good Mood: Your body feels very goodandthat’swhyyoufeelhappy.

ReducetheRiskofCancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.

Health Benefits of Water

Inthisissue,e-SourceofferssomeHealthyHintsabout TheBenefitsofDrinkingWater

EvERy DAy!


At thefirst-ever meeting of wa-ter ministers in the Caribbean, nine ministers with responsibility for water resources management com-mitted to making all essential ef-forts in addressing water security and climate change in the region. The assurance was given dur-ing the first week of October atthe 8th Annual High Level Session (HLS) Ministerial Forum in The Bahamas. The Forum is a joint initiative of the Global Water Partnership-Ca-ribbean (GWP-C) and its partner the Caribbean Water and Waste-water Association (CWWA). Critical to the declaration signed by the ministers was their recogni-tion that high level political leader-ship is key for meeting water secu-rity and climate change challenges faced by the Caribbean. This, along with other recom-mendations, was sanctioned by ministers from The Bahamas, An-guilla, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It was also deemed imperative that Caribbean governments in col-laboration with regional partners should conduct national assess-ments on the status of Integrated Water Resources Management

(IWRM) implementation in the Ca-ribbean and keep the implementa-tion of IWRM under continuous review. During the two-day HLS, min-isters and senior government of-ficials offered their perspectiveson national and regional priorities for water security in the Caribbean and discussed regional water re-source coordination at the ministe-rial level. Included in the main issues brought to the table were the need for greater focus on IWRM; disaster risk reduction; closer integration of the water sector with other sec-tors; access to water; water tariffs; the need for more water experts in the region; raising water conserva-tion consciousness at the national and regional level; looking into various water technologies to con-trol resources; the use of rainwater harvesting as a mitigation practice; water’s impact on health; and cli-mate being key to addressing wa-ter security. Deputy Prime Minister and Min-ister of Natural Resources and Ag-riculture of Belize, Margarito Gas-par Vega, cited legislation passed in Belize in 2010 to introduce an IWRM Act. Minister of Water, Land, Envi-

ronment and Climate Change of Jamaica, Robert Pickersgill, viewed Climate Change as one of the most critical issues to be addressed in re-lation to water security. This view was endorsed by Dr David Estwick, Minister of Agri-culture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management of Barba-dos, who gave support to building climate change resilience but ad-vised that a lot of preliminary work should first be done nationally tobetter understand how water and other sectors such as sanitation are integrated. He pointed out that it is crucial that national research is conducted for Caribbean countries to be fully aware of the status of their water resources. Carlisle Powell, Minister of Communications, Works, Pub-lic Utilities, Post, Physical Plan-ning, Natural Resources and Environment of Nevis, stressed that the Caribbean needs to do more in promoting and commu-nicating the importance of water conservation, and articulated the need to educate communities on conserving water and reporting leaks. Varying national priorities on water notwithstanding, there was a consensus among ministers that

similar water resource challenges are faced in their respective coun-tries and a clear means of moving forward on these issues should be charted. The ministers through their dis-cussions and informed technical inputs from national, regional and international agencies such as the Caribbean Community (CARI-COM), the Caribbean Environ-mental Health Institute (CEHI), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the United Nations En-vironment Programme (UNEP), among others, agreed on seven critical concerns toward achiev-ing national and regional water security. These comprised water as a na-tional development issue; Integrat-ed Water Resources Management (IWRM); climate change and wa-ter; wastewater; regional coopera-tion; capacity building, and public awareness. Global Water Partnership-Carib-bean (GWP-C) and its partner the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association CWWA) are commit-ted to supporting the realisation of the recommendations coming out of the 8th High Level Session (HLS) Ministerial Forum, in cooperation with regional governments and other partners. (Caribbean360.com)

Caribbean Water Ministers address Regional Water Security and Climate Change Challenges

Critical to the Declaration signed by the ministers was their recognition that high level political leadership is a key factor for meeting water security and climate change challenges faced by the Caribbean.

Caribbean ministers address regional water security and climate change challenges

Critical to the Declaration signed by the ministers was their recognition that high level political leadership is a key

factor for meeting water security and climate change challenges faced by the Caribbean.

At the first-ever meeting of water ministers in the Caribbean, nine ministers with responsibility for water resources management committed to making all essential efforts in addressing water security and climate change in the region. The assurance was given during the first week of October at the 8th Annual High Level Session (HLS) Ministerial Forum in The Bahamas.

The Forum is a joint initiative of the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) and its partner the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA). Critical to the declaration signed by the ministers was their recognition that high level political leadership is key for meeting water security and climate change challenges faced by the Caribbean.

This, along with other recommendations, was sanctioned by ministers from The Bahamas, Anguilla, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It was also deemed imperative that Caribbean governments in collaboration with regional partners should conduct national assessments on the status of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) implementation in the Caribbean and keep the implementation of IWRM under continuous review. During the two-day HLS, ministers and senior government officials offered their perspectives on national and regional priorities for water security in the Caribbean and discussed regional water


company acknowledges owing the $4 million to its workers and says it is “in the process of concluding funding arrangements to meets its commitment under the agreement.” Butitwon’tbedrawnintogivinginto theworkers’ demand for a firmdate, leading to a minority of work-ers mounting a few days of daily protestsoutsidethecompany’smainofficesatL’AnseRoadinCastries. All the company was prepared to say is that it is involved in negotia-tions topayupaspromised–andthat “the payment of retroactive wages would be concluded by the end of 2012” and that “there has been no change in that schedule.” It however regretted that a minor-ity of workers had taken action and thanked the majority who remained on the job to provide services to cus-tomers island-wide. WASCO has been cash-strapped for decades, especially since it was saddled with the massive $150 mil-lion cost of the giant Sir John Comp-ton Dam at Roseau, built with Cana-dian help in the 1980s. The company’s revenue earningshave always been dented by indebt-edness of consumers, many of which end up being disconnected. WASCO’s water does not attractthe Value Added tax (VAT) imple-mented on October 1, but the compa-nyisn’tintheveryprofitablebottledwater business, which many on the island see as a lucrative possibility for the cash-strapped water company. There have been efforts to priva-tize WASCO, with reputable inter-nationalwaterfirmsinvitedtobid.But the process was discontinued prematurely after one of the bid-ding companies raised questions and threatened legal action regard-ing how the then government han-dled the process. Eventually, while still pointing to its high debt woes -- especially its monthly electricity bill payments to LUCELEC -- and its state of insolven-cy, the company relented and assured the two unions it will seek to pay the workers during the week of Decem-ber17-21,2012.(SeeWaterMinister’sstatement, also on this page.)

Staff at St. Lucia’s Water andSewage Company (WASCO) downed tools in November to press the company to speed-up an over-due $4 million payout due by the endofDecember.Itwasn’tanoffi-cial strike or withdrawal of labour, moreamuscle-flexingexerciseun-dertaken with the knowledge but not consent of the two unions in-volved, both of which pleaded not guilty of authorizing their mem-bers’actions. The workers, represented by the St. Lucia Civil Service Association (CSA) and the National Work-ers Union (NWU), are pressing WASCO about an agreed and now outstanding 10% increase over the three-year period ending Decem-ber 2012. The two unions say they are be-ing pressed by the workers to get Pay Day dates from WASCO, but thecompanyhasn’tbeenabletoof-fer any assured dates. The press described it as “a wild-cat strike”. But the workers said they downed their tools tom press the company to give then dates by which they will get paid. “We have to pay VAT and Christmas is com-ing, but we were not hearing any-thing from management,” said one striking worker. CSA President David Demacque and NWU President Tyrone May-nard addressed a joint meeting of monthly and fortnightly paid workers, at which both leaders reit-erated the position that the workers were “not on strike or go slow, pro-test action or any form of industrial action.” “They just want a date on which WASCO will pay the back-pay that is due,” Maynard said. They two unionPresidentssaidtheworkers’request“isfullyjustified”andtheyare “in full support”. The monthly paid workers eventually joined the work stop-page, but both union leaders side-stepped issues relating to the gov-ernment questioning legality of the work stoppage under the Essential Services Act. Theisland’scash-strappedwater

WASCO Workers Hold-back their Labour for

Back-pay for Christmas!

Each day during their work stoppage, a few WASCO workers milled outside the company's headquarters to protest not being told exactly

what date they will be paid.

The Ministry of Sustainable Devel-opment, Energy, Science and Technol-ogy views, with serious concern, the ongoing industrial unrest at the Water and Sewerage Company Inc. (WAS-CO). The Ministry has been made to un-derstand that a group of workers has decided to engage in a work stoppage to demand a date for the payment of retroactive wages, consequent upon the successful conclusion of negotia-tionsbetweenWASCO’smanagementand the Labour Unions representing the workers. It is important to note that negotia-tions between WASCO and the Unions have been amicably completed, with the Parties agreeing to a 10% increase in wages for all workers for the negoti-ated triennium 2010-2012.

A Generous Package Giventheveryprecariousfinancialstate of WASCO and the present eco-nomic climate, this was a generous settlement. The wage increase for the triennium is broken down into a 4% increase for 2010, 4% increase for 2011, and a 2% increase for 2012. This 4-4-2 Agreement over the nego-tiated period is above the increase in the cost of living for the correspond-ing period. As a consequence of the wage settlement, there is a retroactive payment (or back-pay) owed to the WASCO workers of approximately $4 million. It is our understanding that WAS-CO’s management, by letter datedOctober 8th, 2012. gave a written com-mitment to both Trade Unions “to do all within (its) capacity to complete the retroactive payments as efficiently aspossible by year end”.

Insolvent Company WASCO is an insolvent company, whose liabilities far exceed its assets. As a result, it is virtually impossible for the company to raise anyfinancefor its operations, expansion or proj-ects to improve the provision of pota-ble water to the people of Saint Lucia. The Company is unable to meet its expenses, which include a debt of over $12.8 million to the Saint Lucia Electricity Services (LUCELEC). Our Government commends LUCELEC on its exemplary patience and under-standing in working with WASCO and Government to reduce this liabil-ity, which grows by approximately $400,000 every month. Currently, WASCO’s total debtstands at over $100 million and its monthlyworkingcapitaldeficitisap-proximately $600,000.

Minister says WASCO workers were ‘misled’ into

taking illegal actionThe following statement was issued by the

Ministry of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology on November 16, 2012,

in relation to the Industrial Action at WASCO over outstanding back-pay

Long-term Viability Plan On the strength of a mandate from the Cabinet of Ministers, a special com-mittee has worked on developing a plan to secure the long-term viability of WASCO. This involves some immediate mea-sures to improve the Company’s bal-ance sheet and actions to attract new investments and improve the cash flow. The Cabinet of Ministers recently approved a payment of $3.1 million to WASCO to allow for the commence-ment of some critical work on the John Compton Dam to address the heavy siltation at the Dam, which is compro-mising its ability to ensure a reliable supply of water during the upcoming 2013 dry season. Therefore, in the current circum-stances, the company is going above and beyond its means to address the concerns of the staff with respect to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Illegal Action It should also be noted that the cur-rent action by this minority group of workers is illegal based upon the stipu-lations of the Essential Services provi-sion of the Labour Act. The timeframe for the payments of retroactive wages agreed to between WASCO’smanagement team and theTrade Unions is not in dispute. We are also aware that no notice has been given to WASCO, the Labour De-partment or the Minister with respon-sibility for Labour of a grievance over the payment schedule. Therefore, it appears that some of WASCO’sworkers are being led intoillegal action under the provisions of the Labour Act. The Ministry is pleased to note, how-ever, that this action notwithstanding, the management of WASCO is con-tinuing to work to ensure that the mat-ter is resolved.

Water Minister Senator Dr James Fletcher says WASCO is insolvent

and deep in hot water over debt was illegal under law


Mexico and the US have agreed to new rules on sharing and manag-ing water from the Colorado Riv-er, which serves some 30 million people in the two nations.Under the deal, the US will send less water to Mexico during a drought, while Mexico will be able to store water north of the border during wet years. TheColoradoRiverflows1,450miles (2,230km) from the Rockies into the Gulf of California and re-

cent droughts and increased water usage have put pressure on the river. "We have chosen collaboration over conflict,wehavechosenco-operationand consensus over discord," said US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. "The Colorado River, in so many ways, makes us one people, and to-gether we face the risk of reduced supplies in years ahead." Treaty changed. The US and Mexico signed a

treaty in 1944 governing the alloca-tion of resources from the Colorado River, which supplies seven US and two Mexican states. But in the en-suing decades, population growth, increased industry and farming, as well as droughts, have put pressure on the river. The latest accord, which runs un-til 2017, is a major amendment of the original treaty, which stipulates that the US must send a set amount to Mexico, enough to supply some

three million homes, no matter how low the river level. But now, Mexico will forgo some of its share during drought, a practice already followed by the states of California, Arizona and Nevada. In return, Mexico, which has little storage capacity, is allowed to store water in times of surplus in Lake Mead, a vast reservoir by the Hoover Dam on the Arizona-Nevada border.

Mexico and USA sign water-sharing deal

There are seven billion peo-ple to feed on the planet today and another two billion are ex-pected to join by 2050. Statistics say that each of us drinks from two to four litres of water every day. However, mostofthewaterwe‘drink’isembedded in the food we eat: producing one kilo of beef, for example, consumes 15,000 litres of water, while 1 kilo of wheat‘drinksup’1,500litres. When a billion people in the world already live in chronic hunger and water resources are under pressure we cannot pretend the problem is ‘else-where’. Coping with population growth and ensuring access to nutritious food to everyone call for a series of actions we can all help with:

• Followahealthier,sustainablediet;

• Consume lesswater-intensiveproducts;

• Reduce the scandalous foodwastage: 30% of the food pro-duced worldwide is never eaten and the water used to produceitisdefinitivelylost!

• Producemore food, of betterquality, with less water.

At all steps of the supply chain, from producers to consumers, actions can be taken to save wa-ter and ensure food for all. And you? Do you know how much water you actually con-sume every day? How can you change your diet and reduce your water footprint? Join the World Water Day 2012 cam-paign “Water and Food Secu-rity”andfindoutmore!There’sstill time…


Rainwater harvesting is the gath-ering, or accumulating and storing, of rainwater and although the term sounds new to us, rain harvesting has been practiced for more than 4,000 years. Catching rain water and using it to assist our daily lives is a means of removing total dependency for water from the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) and although it might conjure up images of an old farm cistern, the reality is that rain-water harvesting is becoming a vi-able alternative for supplying our households and businesses with water. Across the Caribbean rainwa-ter harvesting has been in use for many years. In St Lucia, polyeth-ylene plastic tanks, steel drums and underground concrete cisterns are used to catch rain water. The Turks and Caicos Islands have a number of government-built, pub-lic rainfall catchment systems as it is mandatory that all develop-ers construct a water cistern large enough to store 400 l/m2 of roof area. In Bermuda, most residents do not connect to the local water au-thority as they all catch rain water and treat it for use for all purposes. Roofs in Bermuda are all white and are treated and designed to catch thewaterwhichfiltersintounder-ground tanks. Catching rainwater from roof tops is also used through-out the Bahamas and in Jamaica nearly 100 000 Jamaicans depend on water from rain harvesting for the majority of their needs. In Brazil and Argentina rainwa-ter harvesting is used in semi-arid regions and in Central Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and El Sal-vador, rainwater harvesting using rooftop catchments is used exten-sively in rural areas and on The Islas de la Bahía off the shores of Honduras the population supplies a substantial portion of their pota-ble water needs by using rainwater from rooftops. Germany and Australia are very involved in rain harvesting and in New Zealand, communities away from the larger towns and cities routinely rely on rainwater collect-ed from roofs as the only source of water for all household activities. China rooftop rainwater harvest-ing is being practiced for providing drinking water, domestic water, water for livestock, water for small irrigation and as a way to replen-ish ground water levels and in the Gansu province in China one mayfindsomeofthelargestroof-top Frainwater harvesting ongoing projects.

In rural Northeastern Thai-land, a house is not a home if it does not have at least one huge rainwater jar. Ev ery household depends on their rain jar for their daily water needs and some de-pend on rain jars sales for their livelihood. Rainwater harvesting has be-come essential in areas where rainfall is the only means of wa-ter supply and where there is the possibility of drought. It has also become a reality where there is plentiful rainfall but where gov-ernments are not equipped to pro-vide the needed system to pipe the water to all households. In 1996 all newly constructed homes in Barbados were required to construct water storage facilities if the roof area or living area equals or exceeds 3 000 square feet and 1 000 square feet or more for com-mercial buildings. In the Caribbean most of the rain falls during the wet season leav-ing the dry months in danger of drought conditions and rain har-vesting is important in these con-ditionstosecureaconstantflowofwater throughout the year.

Benefits The collection of rain wa-ter takes a hugh burden off the BWA and it is an excellent back up source in times of drought, low water pressures and when there are problems with the pub-lic supply and especially during disasters. If rain harvesting is put in prac-tice, schools and businesses would not need to close when the BWA

cannot supply water to some ar-eas and life can continue without much interruption. The fact that you own your “rain water” gives you control over how you use it. It is simple to construct and easy to maintain with little cost and your rain water harvest-ing system can be designed accord-ing to what you can afford or want. Some persons might start with one plastic tank while others might build a more elaborate system. Rainwater is better for landscape plants and gardens because it is not chlorinated and it can solve drain-age problems on your property.

Disadvantages There are however some disad-vantages to rain harvesting. Rain from the roof tops may be subject-ed to contamination by leaves, bird droppings and other pollutants that can enter the water. When there is little or no rain-fall, water levels would drop sig-nificantlyandtoavoidthishouse-holders would need to own a large enough system that can reserve enough water that can last for weeks and this might be costly. House holders must secure all water tanks/cisterns, etc from ac-cess by young children and pets.

How you Can Use Rain Water Rainwater can really be used anywhere you use tap water and even for cooking and drinking as long as it is treated. However, without any treatment thousands of gallons of water can be saved and used as follows:• Flushingoftoilets• Laundry• In the garden and forwatering

the lawns • Irrigation systems for agricul-

tural purposes • Washingvehicles• Bathingofpets• Refillyourfountains,fishponds

and aquariums • Washing your driveways and

sidewalks • Use it for industrial processes

instead of municipally treated water

Rain Water Can also be treated in your own home to be used for drinking and cooking. (Barbados Water Authority)

Rain HarvestingThe Barbados Experience

White roofs are common throughout Bermuda

A Jumbo Thai Water Jar

Cawasa e source newsletter july to september 2012

Documents