Govt secures $1.4m grant to tackle water losses

The government is set to advance efforts to curb chronic water losses and modernise its ageing supply network after securing a US$700 000 (BDS$1.4 million) grant from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF).

At a brief ceremony at the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) headquarters in Wildey, Dr Stacy Richards-Kennedy, CAF’s regional manager for the Caribbean, described the initiative as a critical step in enhancing the island’s water security by reducing the quantity of water lost in ageing underground pipes.

“What we have signed this morning is a grant agreement for US$700 000 to support the reduction of non-revenue water wastage or loss and also the strengthening of the infrastructure for increased water security across Barbados,” she explained. “CAF has been working very closely with the government of Barbados for several years on enhancing water security. We have a previous loan with the BWA for US$10m (BDS$20m) and we have been doing a lot of work in this area.”

Echoing her concerns, Acting General Manager of the Barbados Water Authority Christopher Mapp said: “Non-revenue water can be anywhere over 40 per cent. We’ve estimated up to about 50 per cent, so that is water that we are paying for that we are not getting revenue from. So we welcome the assistance in that vein.” 

Richards-Kennedy noted that the recent Water Security Conference hosted in Barbados, which brought together water and sanitation heads from across CARICOM, was a reflection of Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s regional leadership on the issue.

CAF’s latest commitment, she said, would help take Barbados to the next phase – the design and implementation of more resilient water infrastructure.

Prime Minister Mottley thanked CAF for its support and underscored the urgency of the water loss issue facing the island, stating that it directly tied into the island’s broader climate crisis challenges.

“In this particular instance we have made it clear that the first place where the rubber hits the road for the climate crisis for Barbados is with respect to water and we have a serious issue with respect to groundwater,” she said.

“One of the things that [CAF] has also done is to prepare a technical study which in fact in the meeting that I was just in with the Barbados Water Authority, [they said] they’re going to share with me this weekend, but which asked them among other things to relook how they treat to their network system. The recommendations are to make a change from how we have approached the management of our network system and its structure effectively, among other things.”

Outlining the extent of the problem, Mottley revealed that at the Vineyard facility alone, the BWA loses approximately 42 per cent of the water it pumps – meaning 42 gallons out of every 100 are lost without generating any revenue.

She said: “This is as a result of an aged infrastructure predominantly and that is why we’ve said continuously that if we don’t get our non-revenue water down it means that we’re carrying costs for which we can’t earn back money. That is why this is a critical project to be started but equally to be completed.”

CAF is a multilateral development bank established in 1970 to promote sustainable development and regional integration across Latin America and the Caribbean. Owned by 22 countries – including nations in Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal – as well as several private banks, CAF provides financial support, technical assistance and policy advice to both public and private sector clients. The bank’s mission is to support infrastructure, social, and environmental projects, and by mobilising resources to foster sustainable growth. 

In addition to technical assistance for modernising water systems, CAF’s development financing for Barbados has supported road improvement, heritage tourism and recovery efforts following Hurricane Beryl. 

shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb