Exactly 148 000 gallons of potable water storage capacity would be added to homes across Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island, free of costs to residents, just as soon as the dust settles after this vexing COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the homegrown nonprofit Union Island Environment Attackers who are dedicated to easing the water woes of its immediate constituents.
Katherina Collins-Coy, founder and president of the volunteer group of environmental enthusiasts told Asberth News Network, “we’re planning to give Canouan 58 thousand-gallon black tanks, Mayreau about 15 because it’s a smaller community and Union Island about 75 thousand-gallon. We’re just waiting on the final answer.”
This leg of the UIEA water resiliency thrust is being backed by the CARICOM Climate Change Center with funds provided through USAID. The Dr. Ralph Gonsalves-led administration facilitates the NGO’s sundry water resiliency enhancement projects via duty free concessions. The tanks are provided free of purchasing and installation costs to the most needy residents.
“The project is already approved; we’re just waiting on the donors to release the funds. Because of the COVID situation and how it is overseas we know that some of the places are closed at this time, boats are not coming and so on. But it should not be too long from now; we hope we could have them before the rainy season.
“We would also be refurbishing wells because presently the wells are not covered, they need to be cleaned also since people normally access the wells for water, especially in the dry season, for washing and bathing and flushing toilets.” The well repairs may be limited to Union Island for the time being but “Canouan and Mayreau would be getting additional water tanks.”
Last year the UIEA accomplished their 4th milestone when together with local partner Sustainable Grenadines Inc., they enhanced the water storage capacity on Canouan by a further 50 000 gallons. That phase of the projected sharply illustrated the partners’ limited resources.
“When we saw the conditions we decided that something must be done and that’s why we came up with the project to help Canouan last year. So 50 homes benefited but when we realized that all of the affected homes would not be able to get a tank we decided to write to the managers of the Mandarin Oriental Resort, Glossy Bay and to the CCA. We were trying to get tanks from each of the companies, to add to the 50 we had at the time to make sure that the other persons on our list would have been able to receive one.
“And none of them could assist with any tank. However, we told the people since everybody would not be able to get one we would make it our business to do another project of this kind to make sure that those persons who we missed before would get an opportunity. That opportunity has come again but unfortunately due to the COVID-19 situation right now there is a delay in that project. So we have to wait and see when we can go to distribute some more tanks to Mayreau, Union and Canouan.”