EDITORIAL
The 2018 Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan by Prime Minister Mia Mottley has been a talking point since its presentation on Monday. One popular subject matter has been the change to water bill rates from August 1, which will see householders and commercial users paying more for the service.
As outlined by the Prime Minister, a new Garbage and Sewage Contribution will be levied onto Barbados Water Authority (BWA) bills to the tune of $1.50 per day for domestic users – $1.25 of which is earmarked for the Sanitation Services Authority and the other $0.25 going towards the (BWA). Commercial customers pay 50 per cent of their total water bill in levies, half of which is earmarked for SSA and the other half to the BWA. Ms. Mottley made it clear the SSA contributions were for the purpose of defraying the costs of garbage collection, while the BWA’s contribution would help with the maintenance of the sewage systems. In the mini-Budget, $15 million and $12 million were identified for remedial work at the South Coast and Bridgetown plants, respectively, since the focus is on cleaning up the sewage crisis on the South Coast and preventing a collapse at the Bridgetown plant.
As Ms. Mottley reiterated in her presentation – all hands have to be on deck to aid in the recovery of Barbados’ economy. We also hope that these specific implementations will further propel ongoing conversations about water conservation and sewage disposal in this country.
The BLP’s 2018 manifesto before coming to office addressed the matter of recycling, exploring waste to energy technologies, and building a West Coast sewerage system, among other things listed. Have we delved into other ways in which we can treat waste with immediate effect? Reducing, for example, is one way to make less of the product, especially the ubiquitous and dangerous plastic, which environmentalists are concerned is strangling our land and seas. Several Caribbean countries have banned plastic bags and/or Styrofoam containers; it is something we should consider, and with haste.
Then there is water management. As a water scarce nation, we have had our fair share of challenges with severe outages, especially in rural areas. We should also understand the shift that is happening to our climate and how that can exacerbate weather conditions that can wreak havoc on a country’s ability to provide for its people.
In the interim, especially with a higher than usual water bill, it is time to encourage residents and businesses to be outfitted with water saving devices, tanks, and reminders on how to utilise this precious resource. However, we should have a plan for the long-term, where water reclamation, treatment and desalination plant projects can be established at four strategic points around the island. Of course, such heavy investment projects have to be carefully undertaken, but it would ensure that we maximise the potential of one of our greatest ever resources – the sea. It would also ensure that we ease the burden of wastewater running into our disposal systems, thereby prolonging their shelf life and making use of smarter options for water disposal.
There is much work ahead of us as a nation. As the Prime Minister was clear to point out, there are phases of action that are patterned in the short, medium to long term. Though we focus on solving the immediate problems, we will effect long-term change that will hopefully resolve some of our existing problems for good.