Mains replacement work coming to an end
Much of the work being undertaken by the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), with respect to mains replacement, has been completed, and those mains are in the process of being commissioned.
Word of this has come from Chairman of the BWA, Dr. Atlee Brathwaite. His comments came earlier this week during the official opening ceremony of the Package Desalination Plant at Hope, St. Lucy, the first of two temporary desalination plants that the BWA is establishing to help cut down on water outages.
Dr. Brathwaite said that the mains replacement is but one of the major infrastructural upgrade projects being carried out by the Authority at this time, through financing from the Inter American Development Bank and the Canadian Commercial Corporation, to improve the delivery of water supply in this country.
With respect to the mains replacement project, covering 49 kilometres of mains, he said the work was carried out across the island, and was based on historical records of bursts experienced on specific mains. He said the replaced mains would also address any discoloured water problems being experienced in those communities as well.
The project includes mains from College Savannah, St. John to the East Coast Road which have been partially commissioned; Golden Ridge to Castle Grant, which is in the process of being disinfected and tested for commissioning; Crab Hill to the Half Acre Reservoir, which is to be commissioned and Three Houses Park to Hilda Skeene Primary School and Roebuck Street, St. Michael, which has already been commissioned. Additionally, Brathwaite said Bushy Park, St. Philip to Edgecombe Plantation, St. George and Tweedside Road, St. Michael, are ready for commissioning.
The BWA Chairman added that work has also been done to upgrade the pumping facilities and replace equipment at several of their facilities. This has included the change out of pumps and other equipment to reduce energy consumption, cut cost and improve operational efficiencies, he added. With that in mind, Brathwaite said variable frequency drives have also been installed at most of the stations, and three photovoltaic power supply systems have been put in place at Golden Ridge, the Bridgetown Sewage Treatment Plant and Carlton Pumping Station.
The chairman made the point as he further indicated that efforts have been made to better measure water consumption levels through the replacement of customer metres. He explained that the new metres will inform and establish water use efficiency targets and water augmentation needs for the country. That initiative, he revealed, is about 75 per cent complete.
Brathwaite also told those gathered that with all the above mentioned projects either completed or coming to their conclusion, the Authority is looking for additional financing for further upgrades that are required to ensure that the organisation can satisfy its mandate of providing a continuous stable water supply for the public. (JRT)