Protect Basseterre Valley Aquifer from contamination, pleads Douglas

The leader of the opposition in St Kitts and Nevis has urged the government to think again about building the new Basseterre High School on an important aquifer.

Denzil Douglas has warned that Basseterre Valley Aquifer, the island’s major source of drinking water, is at risk of contamination from human waste if plans go ahead as they are.

“The technical people are speaking out and are basically challenging the position that is being adopted by this administration in wanting to locate a new Basseterre High School on the Basseterre Aquifer, which serves the entire Basseterre area with its drinking water supply,” said the former prime minister.

[caption id="attachment_1079" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Denzil Douglas, leader of the opposition and former prime minister of St Kitts and Nevis.[/caption]

The aquifer provides more than 2.5 million gallons of water, and nearly half of the total water supply for the whole of St Kitts.

Beyond Basseterre, it provides water to Bird Rock, Frigate Bay and the southeast peninsula.

Expert views

Contradictory opinions by experts have plagued the debate on the building of the capital’s new high school.

[caption id="attachment_1743" align="alignright" width="300"] Shawn Richards.[/caption] Throughout the process Timothy Harris' administration, which has been in power since 2015, has told the media that their planning was professionally guided.

In June, Deputy Prime Minister Shawn Richards said: “At no point in time the cabinet depended upon its own advice in determining the site for the new Basseterre High School.

"At all points throughout the process, technical persons, experts have been engaged to guide the cabinet in coming to a decision."

Now Douglas has stated that even the Team Unity construction engineers, who came to St Kitts from Barbados, that experts have identified the risk of contamination – but would simply move any matter elsewhere so it can be treated.

“Where is that somewhere else? Is it going to be in Bird Rock? Is it going to be in Taylors? Is it going to be in Shadwell? Is it going to be in Frigate Bay?,” he asked.

“Where are these areas that the Timothy Harris government are going to treat the human Faeces as a result of the location of the new Basseterre High School on the Basseterre aquifer that provides millions of gallons of drinking water daily?”

He called on the people to listen carefully to the technical advice that is coming from the professional people.

“Even the company that has been identified to build the school is aware that there is potential danger and are now working out that instead of delaying the start of construction, to remove the waste via long pipes off site, just to build the school,” Douglas said.

“That cannot be right. I ask our people to become engaged. I ask our professional people to advise and guide so that at the end of the day generations of Kittitians and generations of people who visit our land would not be confronted with major environmental problem of having our drinking water in Basseterre contaminated by human excrete.”

A spokesman for the prime minister declined to comment when approached by WIC News.

This story was originally published on 8 August. UPDATED: 9 August