By Monique Washington
Nevispages.com
Water on the island on Nevis has been normalized after months of inconsistencies in the water supply.
Junior Minister in charge of water, Hon. Troy Liburd announced on Saturday April 22, 2017 that installation of a new Bedrock Exploration and Development (BEAD) pump was a success.
“Last week Saturday the Nevis Water Department did work to restore the BEAD Madden’s Heights well. Those works were successful. The system then took a few days to build up and has now returned to normal. I am happy to report that as of Wednesday (April 19) full 24/7 supply had been restored to all served areas”.
Previously the Hon Liburd informed that the water situation stemmed from one of the pumps operated by BEAD breaking down.
Bedrock Exploration and Development Technologies (BEAD) Maddens Pumping Station was replaced on April 15, 2017.The station, which is the largest single producing well on Nevis, failed last September, which caused challenges for a sustained water supply across Nevis.
Hon. Robelto Hector said during a recent Nevis Reformation Party press conference on April 17, 2017 that the CCM-led NIA has cast blame on BEAD for the water interruptions, but have kept the arrangement that was made over seven years ago.
“When we left office we had an arrangement with BEAD and BEAD did deliver. It was surprising to note that since the early days of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) government, the contract with BEAD was criticized. The NRP party was also criticized but yet arrangements were kept; and today we are saying and hearing from the CCM that BEAD is the problem”.
Hector said that it would have taken the CCM-led NIA government nine months to fix a “simple problem” of a submersible pump.
“This is indeed unacceptable in today’s world”. He further stated that Nevis should not suffer from water issues after a $30 million Caribbean Development Bank-funded project which would enhance the capacity of the Nevis Water Department’s storage and distribution system.
“Over the past nine months we would have witnessed an acute crisis in electricity, in water. We witnessed one of the worst experiences of a Holy Week end ever in the history of Nevis, little to no water and great electricity outage. While Nevisians suffered this great inconvenience of water, the CCM government offered apologies.
“When the NRP government got into office water was guaranteed. When we left office you had a competent staff at the Water Department. George Morris, a signature name in water. He was unceremoniously dismissed by the CCM. Today I am worried as it relates to the competence at the Water Department,” Hector concluded.