A team from the Antigua Public Utilities (APUA), including the General Manager and the Water Division Manager, addressed the Cabinet on timelines, supplies arrangements, payments and delivery schedules for reverse osmosis plants and the new polyurethane pipes that are to replace old cast iron pipes that leak.

As the five-year drought continues, more investments are made in reverse osmosis plants. With an unending supply of seawater, more than 10 million gallons of potable water will be produced by APUA daily by September 2022. The new pipes are purchased out of Europe, the Cabinet was told, and cost far less than when purchased in the USA.

Bottlenecks in shipping have delayed some deliveries. When the pipes begin to arrive, streets in Point, Camacho Avenue, South Street and all of Montrula will be inconvenienced as the road surfaces will be destroyed to get to the buried, leaky pipes and/or to lay new pipes altogether in the case of Montrula.

More than 20% of precious potable water is lost through leaking pipes. The challenge of providing water to homes on higher elevations is being addressed. Pumps are being installed strategically to ensure that water reaches the higher levels. The addition of millions of gallons to production will make this objective more achievable.