Addressing the State of

Potable Water

Shortages in Saint Lucia

Elise M. Myers

Saint Lucia

www.worldatlas.com

Saint Lucia’s Water Needs

• Increased development water supply not meeting demand

• Prediction: doubled shortfall by 2025

• More consistent chronic and sever water shortages

• Low quality water (bacteria and silt ridden)

www.worldatlas.com

Previous Project

• Research with Professor Dale Morgan to find aquifers – Resistivity

– Self-polarization

• Ministry project with goal of more water

• Discussion with Ministry about other ways to address the problem

Caribbean Environmental Health Institute

• Developed to address environmental concerns and regional development

• Environmental health mandate

• Goal Summer 2012: create a system of standards for different business types to become law in all Caribbean nations

www.oas.org

Observed Locations

• Hotels

• Schools

• Marinas

• Paint Manufacturers

• Garages

• Pig Farms

Special Considerations

• Lay-out of sewage and waste water systems

• Proximity to bodies of water (rivers, lakes, etc.)

• Type of chemicals used

• Storage of chemicals and other harmful products

• Physical set-up (runoff vs. percolation)

• Contributions from up-stream enterprises

• Regular maintenance

Key Problems

• Improper disposal

• Oily rags, leaky oil barrels, aerosol cans, paint chippings, kitchen grease, septic drippings

Dangerous Runoff

Paint chippings in particular can cause many problems. Even upstanding companies can have dangerous amounts of paint in their drains.

Improper Storage

Unsanitary Privatized Water Treatment

Unmonitored Water Streams

Requirements in the Standards

• Trenches to contain oil drippings

• Containment walls around drains

• Multi-step septic treatment tanks

• Permeable pavement replacements

• Waste removal (away from bodies of water)

Current Progress

• The standards have been passed through St. Lucia Bureau of Standards

• Currently under review in CARICOM to enforce these standards in all member states

• Wastewater specialists from the US have drawn up plans to distribute

www.slbs.org.lc

End Goal

Soon, we should have a set of laws to protect the environment and better the current water quality in Saint Lucia.

The solution shouldn’t be finding more water, but improving the quality of the water they have.

Thank You to Tau Beta Pi for the Grant!