Used tankers coming to join distribution effort – PM

The Ministry of Water Resources is to acquire a number of second-hand trucks to help with water distribution across the island as it awaits the arrival of several new ones, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced Thursday.

This development comes as scores of Barbadians from several parishes complain of low or no water pressure, with some even indicating that they have not been able to have a shower for the past six days.

The current dry spell facing the island has been made worse with the dramatic increase in demand for water following continuous ashfall on the island from the eruption of the La Soufrèire volcano in St Vincent.

Speaking to journalists at the Grantley Adams International Airport on Thursday to announce a major national cleanup of the ash, Mottley urged Barbadians to reduce their potable water use and shower or bathe once a day if possible.

She said while there has been no recent measurement of the island’s water reservoirs, it was evident that the precious commodity was running extremely low.

The PM said: “We are potentially at a stage where that increased demand for water can become problematic further, nationally, and we cannot at all allow that situation to continue. But I need the public’s cooperation with respect to this.”

Minister of Transport, Works and Water Resource Ian Gooding Edghill has already engaged the Chairman of the Board of the Barbados Water Authority and the General Manager on the matter, she told reporters.

She said: “The bottom line is that we have another nine or ten trucks that were ordered. They were not due to come, because they are new, until June, but I can’t wait and tell anybody in the country to wait until June. So the first thing I have done is told them to find some second-hand trucks and get them in here.”

Mottley was unable to say at the time how soon the used water tankers would arrive here or from where they are being sourced.

Declaring that she was speaking as a resident and not the Prime Minister, Mottley called on those who could provide assistance to those in need to do so.

“I want to say to Bajans, people who got families, let them come by you or stay by you and let us work out that for the next two weeks or so. It will be difficult but this is not the first difficult time that this country has had to go through,” she said.

BWA officials have already issued a stern warning to Barbadians to limit their use of water as they clean the ash from their properties, warning that strict measures could be introduced to prohibit the indiscriminate use of potable water.

She said: “I have no doubt that just as people don’t really complain about garbage trucks anymore and we have put that behind us, we are going to reach a point where people don’t complain about access to water, but we are not yet there. And it pains my heart that we are not yet there.”

Mottley said she has requested a daily report on the districts most affected by the water outages so as to be in a better position “to help these people with the basic need”.

She has also asked that the water supply be tested to ensure there was no negative impact from the ashfall.

“That may not be immediately available to us now because of how water moves through at the ground water level, but I have said we have to start monitoring it because if there is a problem we need to face it and fix it. If there is not a problem, then we give thanks and move to the next issue,” said the Prime Minister. (marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)