An additional temporary desalination plant is to come online in the next few months as the government continues its programme to augment the nation’s water reserves.
Revealing that 23 per cent of the island’s water supply is from those permanent and temporary plants already in operation, Barbados Water Authority (BWA) General Manager Keithroy Halliday said an additional containerized unit is needed in the north of the island.
“We recognised over the last 10 years that we needed to augment our water supplies and on that basis we have been looking at temporary desalination units, containerised units. In the north, we have at least two of those units in operation. We are looking to expand these over the next several months. By the end of June/July we believe that in order to augment the water supply in the north, we should have another containerised plant in operation.
“Beyond that, is consideration as to whether or not we are going to establish any more significant or permanent facilities and these are still under discussion and being looked at because there has to be a balance. When you look at the water master plan across the island in terms of what our needs are and what we need to do to ensure that we are safeguarding our water supply in terms of leaks or otherwise, we have to look at how we balance those two activities,” he added.
As the authority seeks to reduce the issue of non-revenue water, Halliday outlined that the mains replacement programme would be ramped up and additional personnel allocated to that department to trace underground leaks.
“There are a number of technologies out there including satellite technology, and recently we have had meetings with two conglomerates in terms of looking at all the innovative ways in which we can trace water leakage and be able to deal with those significantly. The way it works however, is once you address the leak in one area, the pressure is transferred further down the mains, so when you start tackling any specific area you cannot do it in isolation, but you have to do one full area,” he said during a press conference at the BWA’s Pine headquarters on Friday morning.
jeniquebelgrave@barbadostoday.bb
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