An 80,000-gallon water storage facility is nearing completion at the Dry River Pumping Project in Saint Andrew.
The $600,000-project, which is being implemented and financed by the National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA), involves restoration of the abandoned storage tank at Dry River.
“The structure was just sitting there. It was dormant for years,” NAWASA planning and development manager Whyme Cox told The Grenadian Voice on Wednesday. The elevated location is ideal as it provides gravity to feed low-lying areas.
In addition to restoring the tank, NAWASA employees are converting the sedimentation plant and filters, which have remained open over the years, into more storage, bringing the capacity to 80,000 gallons.
The three units will augment storage capacity in the dry season for several communities in the area, including Plaissance, Walker, De Blando and Tuilleries, among others.
The restored Dry River facility will be able to pump water from the Brandon Hall Treatment Plant, which draws water from the Capitol dam, for distribution to residents and businesses.
The project, which includes 2.5 kilometres of pipe line, got underway just before the coronavirus arrived in Grenada in March. Cox expects the work to be completed within a month.
“It is one of several ongoing projects to ensure a more reliable supply across the island,” he said.
Meanwhile, NAWASA has begun “developmental operations” for the $135-million Climate-Resilient Water Sector in Grenada (G-CREWS) project. The Authority announced in a media release on Tuesday that the six-year collaborative project will be jointly implemented by NAWASA, the Ministries of Finance and Infrastructure Development and the Grenada Development, in partnership with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ).
The project focuses on addressing two main climate risks and vulnerabilities: freshwater availability and disaster preparedness; and will be developed in five components; climate-resilient water governance, climate-resilient water users, climate-resilient water supply systems, additional contributions of the water sector to Grenada’s climate goals, and regional learning and replication.
“The project will see new dams and storage tanks being constructed at a number of Water Treatment Plants across the islands, as well as (a) new ground water programme, redrilling and rehabilitation of existing wells, as well as upgrades to distribution lines, bringing improvements in water quality and quantity,” according to the release.
Described as the “single largest investment” in Grenada’s water sector, the project is jointly financed by the Green Climate Fund and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety under its International Climate Initiative, the Government of Grenada and GIZ.
Cox indicated preliminary designs are ongoing and procurement of pipes and tanks should commence before the end of 2020.
