St. Kitts and Nevis: ‘24-hour water supply remains our priority,’ says PM Drew

St. Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to providing reliable 24-hour water supply across St. Kitts. While acknowledging the challenges of the current drought conditions, Dr. Drew declared that “Everyone will have access to 24/7 water, which is our political objective.” 

In the National Assembly held on Thursday, June 11, the Prime Minister outlined the investments that are being made to modernize the water infrastructure of the Federation and also strengthen the capacity of the country to withstand prolonged drought conditions.

Speaking of these investments he said that they consist of major drilling initiatives, construction of a desalination plant, upgradation to critical infrastructure, expansion of water disruption networks, and the procurement of pumps, motors and other equipment to make the system more reliable. 

Following this, Drew also directed towards the success of these investments in communities such as Cayon, where a well was recently developed and has significantly improved water availability even during the current water crisis due to the drought conditions.

“We invested 10s of 100s of 1000s of dollars to secure a well in Cayon, and today Cayon is one of those communities where 90 plus percent of the members of that community have access to 24/7 water, even under the drought situation at this time,” he exclaimed. 

Announcements regarding additional infrastructure improvements, which includes, new connections linking water sources to St. Peter’s and nearby communities, and the installation of new pumps to facilitate water distribution were also made by the Prime Minister during the National Assembly. 

“These are not temporary measures, these are transformational investments designed to build long-term resilience and ensure water security for future generations,” Drew stated further. 

To ensure access of water throughout the Federation, the government's strategy would be the continuation of drilling operations in Saddler and other communities around the island to expand water production.

“While some citizens continue to experience difficulties because of the severity of the drought, we want the nation to know that we are working every day to provide both immediate relief and permanent solutions,” said Drew while ensuring citizens that the government’s main focus is to deliver both immediate relief and permanent solutions during this crisis. 

He further emphasised that achieving universal 24-hour water access cannot be accomplished overnight, particularly because of the state of infrastructure which was inherited in 2022. However, he expressed confidence that the ongoing investments will continue to deliver measurable improvements.

Ever since Drew has assumed office in 2022, St, Kitts has commenced one of the most ambitious water infrastructure programs in the nation’s history. The Drew-led government has invested more than EC $60 million in projects that aim to improve production, storage, and distribution.