Improved water supplies and the eradication of rationing periods are expected to be the result of a contract signed between the Water and Sewage Corporation and Consolidated Water Company Ltd., which is building a new reverse osmosis plant on New Providence.
On Wednesday, executives of the Water and Sewerage Corporation signed a contract with the Cayman Islands-based company, which will build, own and operate the Blue Hills Seawater Reverse Osmosis Plant.
The Water Corporation is expected to pay $5 for each thousand gallons of water from the company.
The Blue Hills contract was awarded earlier this year and construction of the plant is expected to begin shortly.
The plant is scheduled to be completed by July 2006 and is expected to replace the water production capacity provided from the Water and Sewage Corporation’s Andros well field.
The new water production facility will be capable of producing six million imperial gallons of potable water per day, according to officials.
Consolidated Water is also in the process of expanding its Windsor Field Plant from 2 million imperial gallons per day to approximately 3.2 million imperial gallons.
Director and Chairman of Consolidated Water Jeffrey Parker indicated that the Blue Hills plant will be the largest water production facility that the company owns and operates.
“The combined capacity of the two New Providence plants will exceed nine million imperial gallons per day, compared with our company’s total combined water production capacity of approximately 10 million gallons in all of its markets throughout the Caribbean region at the present time,” said Mr. Parker, during the signing ceremony, which took place at Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort.
He assured that Consolidated Water will continue to provide adequate and quality potable water to the Bahamian public.
General Manager of the Corporation Abraham Butler explained that the construction of the plant will put an end to the water problems that plagued the Corporation.
“For the past several years the Water and Sewerage Corporation has been plagued by production problems and with the signing of this contract to build a new reverse osmosis plant, [it] will certainly add tremendous value in terms of providing an adequate supply of potable water to the residents of New Providence,” Mr. Butler said.
He added that as of next year consumers throughout New Providence will recognize a distinct improvement in potable water supply and the cost to the consumers is anticipated to remain as it is over the next 10 years.
Mr. Butler explained that it was essential to build a reverse osmosis plant with higher water producing capacity so that low water levels would not be experienced when crises like hurricanes and other poor weather conditions occur.
“Based on experience and the impacts from recent hurricanes, the Water and Sewerage Corporation has changed its roadmap to reduce vulnerability of the water supply. The major change under the leadership of the Minister of Works and Utilities has been to increase the number of reverse osmosis plants in the country to supplement or replace groundwater sources,” Mr. Butler said.
Acting Minister of Works and Utilities Shane Gibson congratulated the Corporation and the Ministry for taking steps to correct the inadequate water supply problem.
He said that these initiatives will minimize the possibility of recent crises occurring again.
“The government fully supports the initiatives and strategic plans developed by the Corporation as evidenced by today’s contract signing for the Blue Hills reverse osmosis plant and can confidently state that successful implementation of the water supply and non-revenue water reduction strategies for New Providence will result in a significantly improved service to residents and visitors to the capital,” Mr. Gibson said.
Partial commissioning of the Blue Hills plant is scheduled for April next year producing 1.6 million gallons of water per day.
The plant will have the capability to maintain 100 percent production in the event of power failures and the structure will be capable of withstanding winds of up to 150 miles per hour, according to officials.
By: Bianca Symonette, The Bahama Journal
