The St. Kitts and Nevis government, led by Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, has taken a significant step towards resolving its water scarcity crisis by advancing the construction of a two‑million‑gallon desalination plant at Ponds Industrial Estate in Basseterre. The effort comes amid sharply reduced rainfall, saltwater intrusion, and increasing demand — prompting the government to adopt desalination as a sustainable response.
The desalination plant, progressing well under Royal Utilities management, is now about 90 per cent complete, according to Gerry Moise, the company’s General Manager. “We’re really proud … things have gone very, very well,” he remarked, noting that intake and outfall pipe installations are finishing and that operations should begin in “a few weeks”. Prime Minister Drew confirmed the project will help eliminate water shortages between Basseterre and St. Peter’s by year’s end.
Funding support from Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), via the “Smart Water Supply Project”, was formalised on 10th April 2025, bolstering the upgrade to the nation’s water infrastructure.
Minister of Utilites, Konris Maynard confirmed at a Cabinet press conference on 22nd July that plans are also underway to explore additional groundwater wells, offering a complementary water source to desalination. This diversification is seen as essential to building resilience against climate-driven change.
Experts warn that small island states like St Kitts and Nevis are vulnerable to saltwater intrusion and unpredictable rainfall — trends confirmed in the nation’s Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Once fully operational, the Basseterre facility, located at the C.A. Paul Southwell Industrial Site, will tap into seawater from the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone using reverse‑osmosis technology to produce two million gallons of potable water daily.
Beyond supplying households, the new plant is expected to strengthen the reliability of water delivery and ease pressure on existing freshwater reserves. Analysts say this move highlights the government’s strategic adaptation to climate volatility and represents a long‑term commitment to public health, agriculture, and economic development.
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