Antigua water supply

The project, which will increase Antigua"s water supply from 2.06 million to 3.54 million imperial gallons (igal"s) per day, will rehabilitate wells and uprade water storage, transmission, and treatment facilities while improving the APUA"s regulatory framework and technical and financial capability. To increase the country"s groundwater supply, 32 inoperative wells will be rehabilitated and 20 wells which cannot be rehabilitated will be replaced. To monitor possible sea water intrusion, 10 piezometers will be installed near the seaward end of Christian and Bendals Valleys. Antigua"s water delivery system will be upgraded by building an alternative, 5.9 mile pipeline that will permit all gravity flow between the All Saints and Scotts Hill reservoirs and allow the Delaps Water Treatment Works (DWTW), located at the main Potworks Reservoir, to operate at its rated capacity. Funds will also be provided to: install a new 1.6 million igal storage tank at All Saints (or, if more economical, to relocate the Crabbs Peninsula tank); build a new, 2,000-foot transmission pipeline to the poor Sea View Farm community; and build a new pump station at the high-rainfall Body Ponds catchment area. Funds will also be provided to improve water filtration and treatment facilities at the DWTW (now operating at half capacity), as well as at the Collins, Wallings, and Grays Hill water treatment works; the last-named of these can, if properly upgraded, treat 20% of Antigua"s water supply. The APUA"s capacity to operate on a self-sustaining basis will be promoted by: support - through technical assistance (TA) or conditions in the project agreement - of various regulatory reforms of the APUA; 78 work-months of TA to the APUA"s Water Division in the areas of organization and management, revenue collecting, records and planning, and operations and maintenance; a combined program of on-the-job training, study tours, and attendance at international meetings for all levels and disciplines of the APUA staff; and selected equipment inputs. Finally, since the new pumps will increase energy consumption somewhat, a photovoltaic energy demonstration activity will be funded.