Amid concerns over a long-term drought in the Eastern Caribbean from this country North to Antigua, Saint Lucians have been urged to conserve water.
The Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF), says that a short-term drought, up until the end of May, might develop or continue in Western Cuba, Dominica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, and Tobago.
According to CariCOF, long-term drought is evolving in Antigua, Aruba, Southern Belize, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Saint Lucia.
At the same time, it explained that the situation might develop in southern parts of the Bahamas, Barbados, northern Belize, Saint Vincent and Trinidad.
In a post on its official website, Saint Lucia’s Water and Sewerage Company Inc. WASCO has informed the public of the dry season and the effects on water resources.
“Our raw water supply from the traditional abstraction points within the river system as well as the John Compton Dam reservoir is annually affected by the depletion of water levels,” the company explained.
As a result, WASCO said it was considering several options to ensure water availability for distribution to all customers, including extending a valving schedule to be implemented in some communities.
In addition, the company urged consumers to conserve water and implement several other measures.
They included repairing noticeable water leaks, harvesting rainwater wherever possible for household use, watering plants, and using water-saving devices.
