By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The Water and Sewerage Corporation’s general manager yesterday said the utility is selling 44 percent more water than a decade ago despite a 12 percent production fall-off over the same period.

Robert Deal explained that this had become possible through the 10-year non-revenue water reduction project undertaken by MIYA Bahamas, which has slashed water being lost from the Water & Sewerage Corporation’s pipe network before it even reaches consumers’ homes and businesses. As a result, while less water is being produced, more is finding its way to the end-user.

Mr Deal said: “During 2012, the Water & Sewerage Corporation’s New Providence water supply system was in a serious crisis mode, with many areas without water for several hours each day as water demand exceeded our production capacity.”

Plans had been drawn up for a new reverse osmosis plant in eastern New Providence, and/or to expand the existing Windsor desalination site as a way to expand water production capacity on New Providence. “However, due to the success of the project, the Corporation is now presently supplying less water,” Mr Deal added.

“In 2012, we were supplying approximately 12m gallons per day. We are now supplying about 10.5m gallons of water per day. But we are selling more water than in 2012. We were selling about 5m gallons of water per day then, and we are now selling a little over 7.2m gallons of water a day.”

As of June 2022, Mr Deal said the Water & Sewerage Corporation has been able to save approximately 13.5bn imperial gallons of water “at an average purchase price of $7.50, and the average pumping and chlorination cost of 23 cents per 1,000 gallons”.

Mr Deal added: “This is equivalent to a savings of approximately $105bn. In addition, MIYA has also completed capital works to the tune of approximately $14m during the project. The Corporation has eliminated our Arawak Cay, Fort Fincastle and Winton booster pumping stations, streamlining our efficiency to only now our Windsor and Blue Hills pumping stations.

Alfred Sears, minister for works and utilities, said the project has modernised the Water & Sewerage Corporation. He added: “In this area of industrial activity, that is the production and distribution of potable water, it has demonstrated that the Bahamas is the place of global best practice.”