Choiseul On The Move

 

KIFFO, BRING THE WATER DISCUSSION HOME TO CHOISEUL-SALTIBUS

“You cannot build a 21st-century economy on 19th-century pipes.”

Those were strong words from Hon. Keithson “Kiffo” Charles, parliamentary representative for Choiseul-Saltibus and the minister responsible for utilities, as he celebrated the launch of the US$22.8 million John Compton Dam Raw Water Pipeline Replacement Project.

And he is right.

According to the information shared by the minister, the 40-year-old pipeline serves approximately 58 percent of Saint Lucia’s population and has been experiencing as many as 30 major failures per year. It clearly needs to be replaced.

The WASCO workers who have been going into difficult and dangerous areas to repair the damaged line also deserve the recognition given to them.

But after reading the minister’s Facebook post, one question immediately came to mind:

What about Choiseul-Saltibus?

While our representative is celebrating a major water project in the north and using hashtags such as #KiffoWorks and #ActionNotTalk, many of the people who elected him are still receiving water only twice per week.

That is the reality in Roblot, Debreuil, Lamaze and several other communities.

In some areas, residents say the duration of the water supply has decreased significantly over the past few years. The water comes for a few hours and disappears again. Families must rush to fill drums and tanks, wash their clothes and complete as many household chores as possible before the pipes run dry.

Sometimes the water arrives late at night. If you are sleeping, you may miss it.

People are paying water bills, buying tanks, installing pumps and making all kinds of arrangements simply to have enough water for their basic needs.

That is not a dependable water service.

WHAT ABOUT OUR OWN OLD AND LEAKING PIPES?

The minister described the 40-year-old John Compton Dam pipeline as a “ticking time bomb.”

Fair enough.

But what would he call some of the pipelines serving Choiseul-Saltibus?

The Sauzay-to-Choiseul Village line is reported to be more than 80 years old. The Debreuil-to-Lamaze line is said to be almost 60 years old. Several other sections of the Choiseul water network are also believed to be old, undersized and vulnerable to leaks.

WASCO should publicly confirm the ages and conditions of these lines.

If the figures being circulated are incorrect, give us the correct information. If they are accurate, tell us why these pipelines are still in service and when they will be replaced.

We keep hearing about water shortages, broken lines, low pressure and communities being placed on schedules. But how much of our treated water is being lost before it reaches the consumer?

How can we continue asking residents to conserve every bucket of water while old pipes may be leaking thousands of gallons into the ground?

This is not a new problem. It has followed the people of Choiseul-Saltibus for years. What we need now is not another general statement about WASCO’s challenges. We need a clear plan for our constituency.

KIFFO IS NOT ONLY THE REPRESENTATIVE

This is where the matter becomes even more serious.

Kiffo is not only the parliamentary representative for Choiseul-Saltibus. He is also the minister responsible for utilities.

He cannot stand on the outside and say the water problem belongs to somebody else. This matter sits directly within his ministerial responsibility.

That gives him both the opportunity and the duty to push for improvements.

So let us ask some direct questions:

• How many communities in Choiseul-Saltibus are receiving water only once or twice per week?
• Why has the duration of the supply reportedly decreased in communities such as Roblot, Debreuil and Lamaze?
• How much water is being lost through leaks in the Choiseul water network?
• Which pipelines have been identified for replacement?
• Is there a funded water-improvement plan for the constituency?
• What work will begin first, and when?
• What temporary assistance will be provided to families living under an unreliable water schedule?

These are reasonable questions. The minister should be able to provide reasonable answers.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT THE JOHN COMPTON DAM CHARGE?

There is also the long-standing issue that many residents refer to as the John Compton Dam tax.

People in Choiseul-Saltibus continue to question why they should carry a charge associated with the John Compton Dam while many communities in the constituency do not receive water from that dam.

This concern becomes even harder to accept when customers receive water only twice per week.

What has Kiffo done about it, not only as our representative, but as the minister responsible for utilities?

Has he instructed WASCO to review the charge?

Has he requested a technical or legal assessment to determine whether customers who do not benefit from the dam should continue paying it?

Has the matter been discussed at the level of Cabinet?

Has any proposal been prepared to remove or adjust the charge for affected consumers?

If action has been taken, the minister should put the information before the public. Show us the correspondence. Explain the process. Give residents a timetable.

If nothing has been done, then he must tell us why.

This is not an issue he has to carry to another minister. He is the minister. He is also the representative of the people making the complaint.

In this situation, Kiffo is not standing outside the door asking someone to let him in. He is one of the people holding the key.

ACTION MUST ALSO REACH CHOISEUL-SALTIBUS

No one is opposing the replacement of the John Compton Dam pipeline. A line serving such a large part of the country must be secured.

But our representative should be careful about celebrating “action” elsewhere while people in his constituency are still arranging their lives around two uncertain days of water.

The people of Choiseul-Saltibus need more than photographs, speeches and hashtags.

We need a constituency water-improvement plan. It should identify the old pipelines, the areas losing the most water, the communities with the poorest supply, the projects that have been approved, the money allocated and the dates when work is expected to begin.

Give us something we can measure.

Give us something we can monitor.

Give us something more substantial than another Facebook post.

Mr Minister and Parliamentary Representative, bring the water discussion home. Speak to the people of Roblot, Debreuil, Lamaze and every other community struggling with an unreliable supply.

Tell us what has been done.

Tell us what is planned.

Tell us when the old pipes will be replaced.

Tell us what you are doing about the John Compton Dam charge.

Most importantly, tell us when the people of Choiseul-Saltibus can expect water to flow through their pipes regularly and for a reasonable length of time.

If a 40-year-old pipeline in the north is a ticking time bomb, then the ageing lines in Choiseul-Saltibus cannot be treated as a minor inconvenience.

Water is life in the north, but water is also life in Choiseul-Saltibus.