By Kimani Wiseman
In the future, water could be a scarce resource in St. Vincent and the Grenadines mainly because of climate change. Vincentians have been witnessing frequent droughts in the dry season which is causing rivers and catchments to dry up affecting our water supply. During the rainy season, heavy rainfall can cause sediments to block CWSA pipes, landslides can also cause the destruction of their pipes and this would result in water problems. Can ground water be a solution?
Ground water starts as precipitation that falls on the earth’s surface and slowly seeps downward through unsaturated soil and rocks until it reaches the saturated zone. This process is known as ground water recharge, and the top of the saturated zone is called the water table. The water table can be very shallow even at the land surface in some cases, or very deep, sometimes hundreds of feet below the land surface. Once recharge reaches the water table, it becomes part of the ground water system. The rocks and soils where ground water flows are called “aquifers”.
Ground water is overlooked for solutions to water problems that we encounter during the dry season and during a storm and hurricane. For ground water to be usable, we have to identify areas where ground water is located, this would require mapping of various areas in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and soil and rock testing. Ground water comes with some challenges because we are not taking care of our environment, we are polluting our ground water. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is an agriculture country, a lot of farmers depend on farming for their livelihood. This causes an abuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. During heavy rainfall, the chemical fertilizers and pesticides would seep downward into the soil and into the ground water which would cause some challenges for us to use for domestic purposes. Improper disposal of our garbage on land would attract harmful bacteria. These bacteria can pass through the soil and into the water that is stored underground. Plastics are also found in garbage. These plastics would be broken down into “micro plastics”. The end result being micro plastic in our ground water. Sewage from houses and businesses are also a threat to ground water. The construction of septic tanks near ground water can be problematic which can cause sewage to leak into water that is stored underground. There are some persons when they are servicing their vehicle, they would throw vehicle oil in the soil. This is a bad practice because the oil can leach underground and into the ground water. For ground water to be used for domestic purposes, the water would first have to be tested and treated. Desalination can be an alternative but it is very expensive. The exploration of ground water would be extremely good for the farming communities because they can use it as irrigation on their farm during the dry season.
Here are some tips for keeping ground water clean:
Good agriculture practices would reduce the usage of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. For example, heavy use of chemical fertilizers can be substituted with composting. We can use biological control to keep away certain pests on the farm. We can also use other plants to keep away some pest. Sometimes we don’t always have to use herbicides to kill weeds, we can use a cutlass and a hoe to clear weeds and even our hand to pull up weeds.
If we dispose our garbage into a garbage bin, it would help to keep ground water clean.
Proper mapping of ground water would identify where ground water is located. Once ground water is identified, the authorities can prevent houses and businesses from being constructed in close proximity where ground water is located. This would prevent sewage from houses and businesses from leaking into ground water.
Proper disposal of vehicle oil is paramount for keeping ground water clean.
According to a United Nations article, the article states that climate change is affecting the hydrological cycle and increasing the frequency and intensity of storms. The article further states that over 90% of natural disasters are weather water related, including drought and aridification, wildfires, pollution and floods. (https://www.unep.org/topics/fresh-water/disasters-and-climate-change/climate-change-and-water-related-disasters) . The world water day theme on March 22nd 2022 was “groundwater making the invisible visible”. All these problems that climate change is causing with surface water, we might have to make ground water more visible for us to use in the future, hence the reason why ground water might be a saviour for the future. The exploration of ground water is definitely something for the authorities to take seriously in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This would prevent our pipes from running dry and we must play our role in keeping the environment clean so we can enjoy the benefits of ground water.