Publication: Sunday Sun
Paper Page: 5A
Paper Date: Sun, Feb 8, 1998
Byline: Terry Ally

THREE AREAS in Barbados no longer have special protection for underground water resources.  Crab Hill in St. Lucy, Sedge Pond in St. Peter, which borders the Scotland District, and Norwoods in St. James have been changed from Zone 1 to Zone 2.

Zone 1 are places where pollution threats to underground water are greatest and therefore development is not permitted, however, development is permitted in the other four zones.

Coincidentally, one of the areas which was re-zoned (Norwoods) was acquired in 1994 by Sandy Lane Hotel, which is seeking to build a 27-hole golf course and other development on those lands. In recent months, it was announced that Sandy Lane was also wrapping up a deal to buy Bennetts Plantation. A section of that plantation is also part of the former Norwoods Zone 1, while both Mangrove Pond landfills are also located on Bennetts Plantation, however those two parcels of land are owned by the Crown.

Manager of the Barbados Water Loss Study, Dr. John Mwansa, said the rezoning was a recommendation of a water study by Stanley Associates back in 1978.

"Norwoods has a private well which some people call Babbs Well or Norwoods Well. It was test pumped by a previous BWA management and based on the estimated yield for that catchment, which is only supposed to be 0.18 million gallons per day, it was determined that the water authority would not be looking at utilising that catchment because of the small yield but it does not mean that the well cannot be used for other private purposes," said Mwansa.

He insisted there was no lobby or pressure on the Barbados Water Authority to rezone the area. Asked why it took 20 years to enforce the recommendation, he said he did not know.

"As technical people all we can do is make recommendations. The decision-makers would have to determine when it is appropriate to make the decision."

He said the BWA made it clear to the consultants of Sandy Lane Hotel that it would not be granting any additional licences for groundwater to irrigate their new golf course and they were yet to say exactly how they intended to provide water. Sandy Lane presently has a permit to extract 300 000 gallons per day for its existing course and that is all used during peak periods.