Worrell: Stormwater Bill no cure for poor road and drainage design

Opposition Senator Andre Worrell has cautioned that poor road design and neglected field drainage are issues that must be addressed if the Stormwater Management Bill is to have any real impact on flooding and infrastructure deterioration across the island.

Contributing to debate in the Senate on Wednesday, Worrell said too many of the island’s roads are being resurfaced without proper gradient, causing rainwater to settle instead of draining to the sides.

He said, “Roads used to be built with a slight hump to direct water into the drains. Now, they’re flat, and when the water settles, potholes follow.”

He further pointed to the Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) as one of the agencies contributing to the problem, using the example of Gilkes Road in St Michael Central, where, according to Worrell, recent work solved one issue but created another for nearby residents in Sealy Land.

“The water now runs straight into people’s properties because there’s no drainage infrastructure or wall to stop it,” Worrell said, adding that sub-wells or barriers should have been part of the project from the start.

He also called for a return to effective rainwater harvesting in agricultural areas, referencing long-standing systems in places like Lears and Redland, St John, where runoff from roads was once directed into dams used to irrigate crops during the dry season.

“You don’t always need to build new wells,” he said. “We need to clean the ones we have and make sure the water can reach them.”

In addition to improved infrastructure, Worrell said better land management could reduce runoff and protect water quality.

He cited the example of khus-khus grass lining fields, which traps soil and prevents mud from flowing into roads and water systems during heavy rain.

He warned that future hotel construction, especially in flood-prone coastal areas like the proposed Holetown Civic Centre redevelopment, must be approached with care, factoring in storm surges and natural water flows to avoid making vulnerable areas worse.

“You can’t build a property that runs counter to the natural movement of water. That’s just asking for damage.”

While voicing no objection to the bill itself, Worrell stressed that enforcement and technical oversight will determine whether the legislation succeeds.

“You can’t just have the legislation. You need people in the ministries with the expertise to make it work,” he added. (SM)