LAST WEEK in Barbados the Caribbean Water and
Wastewater Association held their second annual conference at the Dover
Convention Centre. Unfortunately, the Barbados Association of Professional
Engineers advised their members in a circular postmarked a week after the last
date for registration and months after the last date for the submission of
abstracts of proposed papers. This may not be altogether a bad thing as it gives
me the opportunity to correct publicly some misinformation. This relates to the
adequacy of water to supply Barbadian householders, business, industry and golf
courses well into the 22nd Century not the year 2000 which certain ill-informed
persons allege will see us running short of pure water.
A few facts first. Barbados is 166 square miles 4 627 814 400 sq. feet in extent
with some 250 000 inhabitants or 18 511 sq. ft. each. Average annual rainfall is
60 inches or 38.75 U.S gallons per sq. ft. or 0.106 gallons per day so per
Barbadian 1964 gallons per day. The current maximum use during the dry season is
30 million gallons per day or 120 gallons per person. So over 16 times as much
rain falls in Barbados as we use in the dry season and over 20 times as much as
we use year round.
Why with this abundant supply of rain by the Good Lord are there shortages and
Jerimias claiming worse to come as soon as the year 2000? Quite simply a lot of
water is being wasted, the Barbados Water Authority admits up to 20 per cent
leaks in their system and only 15 per cent of consumers are reportedly metred.
Far more can and must be done to trap rainfall in the high rainfall and high
elevation centre of Barbados and feed it to the underlying coral rock which is
our main reservoir. Effort must also be taken to feed this water to man-made
reservoirs which can supply water without the high cost of electricity to pump
it up from sea level to where Barbadians live and work.
People who suggest that we may need desalination plants in Barbados are in the
opinion of this practising civil engineer in Cloud Cookoo Land. What we do need
to do is improve the collection of rain-water. The new Royal Westmoreland Golf
Course will have a number of new dams in the gullies to divert more rain-water
down into the coral. In addition, the provision of water storage tanks for
garden use should be a requirement for all but the smallest new houses.
Hotels and other facilities with sewerage treatment facilities should be
required to treat the effluent so that it is suitable for irrigation and in the
case of new properties where dual supply pipes can be easily provided, for
toilet flushing also.
I repeat, we have plenty of water in Barbados for our use and for our children
and children's children. What we must do is improve the collection and
conservation of this vital resource essential for all who have the privilege of
living in Barbados and those fortunate to visit us as tourists or dare I say it,
golfers too.