As part of efforts to tackle the water wastage that has plagued the territory for decades, the Recovery and Development Agency has contracted a United Kingdom-based consultant to detect leaks and build local capacity to do the same, the RDA announced.
On behalf of the government, the RDA recently signed a $104,750 contract with Water Research Centre Limited, which will be charged with training local contractors and the Water and Sewage Department to curtail water losses to leaks, theft and other problems.
The consultant will work with the WSD and other community personnel over the course of six weeks starting Oct. 15, according to the RDA.
Signing
At the contract-signing ceremony on July 11, Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer said leak detection is essential to understanding why some residents are not receiving a consistent water supply.
“We have embarked on this project because we understand that there is quite a lot of theft, but there is quite a lot of leaks on the system, and it is essential for us to identify those,” he said, adding, “There needs to be a holistic approach in terms of leak detection throughout the territory, knowing that we have age-old infrastructure.”
RDA CEO Anthony McMaster said the agency was glad Mr. Rymer’s ministry decided to move forward with a contract to address the problem.
“We are linked to capacity building, and the ministry saw an opportunity to utilise this project to build capacity of not only the Water and Sewerage Department but also private personnel,” he said.
“This project will not be a one-time fix but will create new industries in the territory.”
Andy Blackhall, the managing director of Water Research Centre Limited, said the company is pleased to work on the “timely and important” initiative.
“We look forward to working with you to share best practice, to focus on training, building capacity, technologies and materials and all the things that go towards providing safe, clean drinking water to the people that inhabit these islands,” Mr. Blackhall said.
First of three phases
The consultancy is the first phase of a three-phase approach to the “water optimisation programme” being carried out under the RDA.
The next phase involves supplying and installing water meters for the territory’s reservoirs, and the third phase involves supplying and installing domestic water meters across the territory, the RDA stated.
The contract-signing was also attended by acting WSD Director Brian Davis, RDA Project Manager Nioka Anderson Murray, and RDA Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Tifanie Robinson.
