Drilling For Water In Nevis
Charlestown, Nevis
February 10, 2009
The people of Nevis are enjoying supplies of good quality water, at very good pressures, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, all as a result of the on-going water up-grade drive of the Nevis Island Administration.
This was told the Department of Information by Junior Minister of Communications, Works, Public Utilities and Posts, the Hon. Carlisle Powell on Wednesday February 4th in a wide-ranging interview at his Administration Building office in Charlestown.
Mr. Powell gave consumers yet another assurance of the excellent quality of the water supply.
“It has been a long time since we have been able to make that claim and not only to make the claim but to be able to substantiate the claim. Two things”¦the quality is extremely good and when you drink the water, you can actually taste the difference. Secondly, we [NIA] are making every effort to make sure that there is a continuous, ready, available supply of water for the consumers.
“Based on the contract with BEAD [Bedrock Exploration and Development Technologies], the previous contract, we have been able to get an additional one million gallons of water per day from two wells; one in the Maddens area and one in the Fothergills area. I love to say that, because the road to development and through development must lead through water and this is what we’ve been able to do in Nevis,” he said.
He said the Nevis Island Administration led by Premier the Honourable Joseph Parry wanted to demonstrate its seriousness about development of the island and had decided that it first had to tackle the water situation.
In the Hamilton area, preparatory road works leading to a new drill site had begun by Bedrock Exploration and Development (BEAD) Technologies. The Minister of Works and Public Utilities explained that road cutting was to accommodate the start of the exploratory drilling process that would be done using the Trinidad based Lennox Petroleum Company drill rig operated by Mr. Carlisle Charles.
Mr. Powell pointed out that the people of Hamilton had suffered more than most of the island and he was sanguine that they would find that extra half a million gallons of water to put that water into the system.
“We want to be able to say to the people of Hamilton that we will find water in their area and that we will be able to provide water to their area, for their use. No longer will they have the serious complaint whenever there is a shortage of water coming down from Gingerland that they are not supplied.
“We are taking immediate steps even as we have a good supply of water to ensure that there is an increase supply of water, so that the people of Hamilton and Charlestown and Ramsbury and all those long suffering areas will find good relief,” Minister Powell said.
One reason that there is an abundance of water this year is due to the fact that The Four Seasons Resort – Nevis has been closed for 5 months. They use almost a million gallons per day so I am told. What happens when they come back on line in late October????