Dry spell hits Nevis, minister appeals for water conservation

As the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) continues to explore more sources of water, Hon. Spencer Brand, Minister responsible for Water on the island is appealing to the public to be conservative in their use of the resource.

Mr. Brand made the call at his presentation during a sitting of the Nevis Island Assembly on February 28, 2019, mindful that the island was already experiencing dry weather and based on predictions issued recently in the Caribbean Drought Bulletin from the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) based in Barbados.

"We are already in the dry spell in the Leeward Islands, and in particular on the island of Nevis, and I want to use this forum to encourage our people to conserve as much water as possible.

It is no secret that the rainfall pattern has changed and it therefore behooves us to be more prudent in our use of water and in our efforts to conserve water and while we are seeking to conserve more water, it is also our quest to continue to seek for new water," he said.

Regarding the water explorations, Mr. Brand stated that the NIA had contracted Bedrock Exploration and Development Technologies (BEAD) LLC, a ground water development company, to provide additional water. He said they were awaiting a report from the company pointing to a number of possible sites that could be explored for the additional water.

He said the administration is hopeful that drilling for additional water would commence shortly.

Meantime, Mr. Brian Dyer, Director of the Nevis Disaster Management Department is adding his voice to Mr. Brand's call for water conservation.

"The prediction for St. Kitts and Nevis is that for the period January to the end of May the islands would experience a dry spell, and this supports the call by the Minister to ensure that water conservation measures are put in place as there is a concern for long-term drought. This is as a result of a weak El Nino being experienced in the North Eastern Caribbean.

"During a dry spell, the islands could also experience an increase in wild fires, increase in erosion, reduced soil moisture content, and an increase in vector borne and non-communicable diseases," he said.