Caribbean360: Water emergency officially declared in St Lucia

Water emergency officially declared in St Lucia
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Chris Hoyos on 25/02/2010 14:34:54
 
CASTRIES, St Lucia, February 25, 2010 – The St Lucia government has declared a
water emergency which went into effect yesterday, amidst a prolonged drought
that has also affected other Caribbean countries.
The move is aimed at managing and protecting the island’s potable water supply
and is being taken in accordance with the country’s Water and Sewage Act.
It states that if the Minister of Agriculture, acting on the advice of the Water
Resources Management Agency is satisfied that by reason of an exceptional
shortage of rain, or contamination of water, a serious deficiency of supplies of
water exists or is threatened, considers a water related emergency is necessary,
he may cause a declaration to that effect to be made.
Stringent measures will be implemented to manage the use of water provided by
the Water and Sewage Company (WASCO) and will remain in effect until further
notice.
It will be illegal to use the company’s water for watering gardens, lawns,
grounds and farms; for supplying of ponds, or swimming pools or for use other
than normal domestic services such as drinking, cooking, washing, bathing and
sanitation; for non pressure and pressure washing of houses using a hose or
watering or washing roadways, pavements, paths, vehicles, garages or out rooms;
by major contractors, for concrete, and block making and construction; by plants
making concrete; to fill leaking storage tanks and overflowing tanks; or any
purpose that may require the use of “a considerable or excessive quantity of
water”.
Tampering WASCO infrastructure to divert or abstract water from its network has
also been prohibited.
Persons who fail to comply with any of these emergency measures could be fined
at least EC$3,000 (US$1,111) or be imprisoned for at least six months, or both.