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Saint Lucia: Issues Paper on Climate Change Adaptation & the Water Sector April 20091.0 Why water is a key sector for Saint LuciaSaint Lucia has a fragile economy which has been evolving over the years from one beingheavily dependent on Agriculture specifically banana production to one which isdependent on Tourism and Other Services (80% GDP), Agriculture (5% GDP) andIndustry (15% GDP). Freshwater is a fragile, finite and vulnerable resource vital tohuman, economic and environmental sustainability and influences national prosperityand quality of life. The water sector is a cross cutting sector and plays an important rolein all sectors in Saint Lucia and therefore any impact of climate change on the watersector could have far reaching repercussions on the economy of the country and affectlife in general, being a catalyst for economic development and a vehicle forempowerment and poverty alleviation.Over the years there has been a significant focus on the water sector in Saint Lucia withthe government initiating a reform of the sector in 1999 which is still ongoing. It is clearthat significant investments are required to bring the sector to the level required to meetthe current demand and future needs. Water demand continues to change rapidly incertain areas, for example the extreme north due to high infra structural developmentand migration of people into areas in the north and other major centers of commercialactivity in the south. In general there is water supply versus demand deficit, island wide,and this is affected directly by rainfall distribution.Although there have been continuous improvements, the potable water supply, has inrecent years, been severely affected by pressures of increased demand as a result of socio-economic development, destruction of upper watersheds, increasing exploitation of therivers and wetlands, and an inefficient, inadequate and aging water distribution network.The ability of the Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) to meet the current demandfor water, island wide is as a result of a combination of marginal river base flowsexperienced during the dry season and high turbidity during the rainy season.It is widely suggested that present water demand is exceeding the available supply andthat the potential increase in future demand can only serve to exacerbate this deficit.While the available data does not allow for an exact determination of supply/demanddynamics, data of the potential supply/demand situation within various sectors andzones and for the island as a whole point more to a suppressed demand than a realdeficit [AGRICO, 2001].Freshwater supplies are highly susceptible to normal climate variability. This results inperiods of excess rainfall which can lead to flooding as well as periods of below normalrainfall which leads to drought conditions. During such periods of heavy rainfallwatercourses are susceptible to siltation which impacts significantly on raw water quality.In addition there are a number of anthropogenic activities currently affecting the qualityof Saint Lucia’s rivers and freshwater systems. These include: housing, agriculture, waterabstraction, sewage disposal, solid waste disposal, tourism, fishing, river sand mining,manufacturing, river bathing and picnicking, and river alteration.Page | 2
Saint Lucia: Issues Paper on Climate Change Adaptation & the Water Sector April 2009Although it is suggested that the island currently has sufficient freshwater to meet alldemands, a key concern is that the resources are unevenly distributed temporally andspatially. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that an Integrated Water ResourcesAssessment be conducted to ascertain the actual available water resources as well as thewater resource potential. The need for an implemented Integrated Water ResourceManagement Plan cannot be overstated.2.0 Key Aspects of the Water SectorSaint Lucia is a small island developing country and experiences year‐round warm,humid conditions associated with the tropical marine climate which can be attributed toits location. The geographical location of the island results in the occurrence of tropicalstorms and hurricanes during the rainy season. The island’s weather is influenced by theAtlantic High Pressure system, surface, mid and upper level troughs/lows, the InterTropical Convergence Zone, tropical waves and cyclones and the occasional frontalsystem. The island experiences wet (June – November) and dry (December – May)rainfall seasons annually. In the wet season the quantity of rainfall is influencedprimarily by the frequency and intensity of tropical waves, depressions, storms andhurricanes.Saint Lucia is a volcanic island and is geologically composed of impermeable rock.Therefore movement of water into underground reserves is very limited. Waterresources are as a result from surface sources in rivers, wetlands, streams and springs.There are thirty-seven (37) main sources of surface run-off (figure 1) and fewgroundwater sources. Surface water catchments are relatively small, with steep slopeson which run-off occurs fairly rapidly. Surface water yields for potable water purposesvary due to increased abstraction and in some cases soil and chemical contamination.Surface water is heavily exploited for municipal and agricultural purposes.The island’s freshwater requirements are met through an integrated network of riverintakes, treatment plants, transmission pipelines and distribution systems. These systemcomponents are under operation and control of the Water and Sewerage Company(WASCO). With respect to the potable water supply there are four (4) major watersupply systems in the country: North - Roseau Dam and Hill 20, South - Grace andBeausejour. The supply to the treatment plants is from water streams through bothgravity and pumped conveyance systems. The above mentioned systems treat the rawwater in filtration plants and then disinfect.There are approximately 56,000 customers (households and commercial establishments)served by the system, distributed between the networks in the north and south [WASCO,2009]. As noted earlier there are a number of challenges to WASCO in the provision ofan adequate water supply island wide.Page | 3
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