The Water and Sewerage Company Inc. (WASCO) says water trucking and community valving operations will remain in place across the island as prolonged dry conditions continue to severely strain the island’s water supply.
In an update issued Thursday, WASCO said significantly reduced rainfall over the past several months has caused critically low inflows at key treatment facilities, including the Theobalds Water Treatment Plant, which serves communities from Millet to Cap Estate, and the Hill 20 Water Treatment Facility, which supplies the Babonneau region.
Water systems in the south, including Dennery, Beausejour, Patience, Soufrière and Choiseul, are also facing severe supply reductions, resulting in lower production levels and added pressure on the island’s distribution network.
To manage the shortages, WASCO said it has intensified the trucking of potable water to essential services and the hardest-hit communities, while continuing valving operations to help ensure more equitable distribution across affected districts.
The utility is also urging customers to conserve water, store supplies safely and use reserves sparingly during the ongoing dry spell.
According to WASCO, Saint Lucia is currently experiencing one of its driest periods on record.
Speaking at WASCO’s press briefing earlier this month, Director of Meteorological Services Vigil Saltibus said the island is now facing developing drought conditions after months of below-average rainfall, which began in June last year.
She noted that the 2025 wet season ended with approximately 37 per cent less rainfall than normal, with the shortfall extending into the 2026 dry season.
“As of April 2026, rainfall remains well below average, placing this year’s accumulated rainfall period from June 2025 to April 2026 the third driest on record,” Saltibus added.
She explained that soils, rivers and reservoirs have not had enough time to recover. Light rainfall is quickly absorbed by dry ground and does little to replenish catchments, leaving supplies under continued strain.
WASCO also warned that below-normal rainfall is forecast into the early part of the hurricane season, driven in part by a developing El Niño, which could further increase demand on already limited water resources.
In response, WASCO said it has accelerated water quality testing across affected systems to ensure safe water protocols remain in place despite reduced inflows.
The utility said it is working with the Water Resources Management Agency, the Ministry of Environmental Health and regional and international partners to maintain compliance with World Health Organisation standards.
WASCO also highlighted ongoing infrastructure works aimed at strengthening long-term supply reliability, including redevelopment projects in Patience.
Customers are being encouraged to monitor WASCO’s website and social media platforms for updates on trucking and valving schedules.
I’ve never see a drought when the hills and mountains are so filled with greenery.
WASCO has caused more destruction of roads in Saint Lucia than Hurricane Allen, Tomas, and all other hurricanes since the great hurricane of 1780 which destroyed the entire island. The only reason that hurricane did not destroy the roads is they were not yet paved. The destruction of the recently paved road on the Morne by Chef Harry Drive has commenced after a brief stay of execution. Next, and WASCO must be salivating on this one, is the short stretch of road from the Ti Rocher, Castries, school towards Guesneau, let’s see how long this one will last! The road in the valley from the bridge at Grande Riviere to the Richfond Police Station and on to the LA Ressource gap has been decimated by WASCO, it now consists of a series of patches upon patches. These are just a few, it is not practical to list all the roads where WASCO has passed and destroyed. What is especially galling is that after WASCO has dug up the road, the stones and holes remain like this for about 12 months, in some cases! The Chaussee Road deserves special mention, it was recently resurfaced after a year of dust, mud, torment, near misses and accidents, WASCO dug up the southern portion, it was resurfaced, then dug up again, resurfaced again, and dug up once more, and it remains as left by WASCO! Very few roads in this country have not felt the wrath of this company. It has to be deliberate, cold, and calculating, for a company to wait until a road has been resurfaced, then go in, dig it up, amd leave it like this.