I am writing this not as a supporter of any political party, but simply as a thinking citizen who pays attention to what is happening around us, both regionally and internationally.
At some point, we have to stop using water as political leverage. Water is not a campaign slogan. It is not a weapon. It is a basic national necessity.
Yes, Antigua has water challenges. No sensible person would deny that. But any fair minded person can also see that progress is being made. What we cannot expect is for decades of infrastructure issues to be fixed overnight. This is not something that changes with one speech or one election cycle.
We are surrounded by sea. But can we use salt water straight from the ocean in our homes? Of course not. Desalination takes heavy investment. Reverse osmosis plants are expensive to build and operate. And even after water is produced, it still has to travel through pipelines that many of us know are old and fragile. We see the pipe replacement works happening, but that kind of upgrade cannot happen instantly. It takes time and serious money.
Antigua is not the only island facing this reality.
Saint Lucia has warned about shortages.
Grenada has implemented rationing.
Barbados has had to truck water to communities.
Saint Kitts operated on schedules and only recently commissioned its first reverse osmosis plant.
And let us talk about Trinidad and Tobago. Their water challenges are, in many cases, more severe than ours. There have been long standing supply issues, rationing and public frustration. They recently had a general election. Did we hear water being used as a constant political weapon on campaign platforms? Not in the way we are seeing here.
These are all Caribbean nations dealing with climate change, drought cycles, aging infrastructure and financing constraints. The struggle is regional. It is not unique to Antigua.
One difference in some of these islands is personal responsibility. Many households harvest rainwater and invest in pumps and storage tanks. In Antigua, some still see that as optional or a luxury. But water security is not only a government issue. It is a shared one.
Even in the United States, drought conditions bring water restrictions and penalties for excessive use. Families living there can tell you that water conservation is taken seriously when supplies run low.
Now let us talk about cost.
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It is interesting that the minimum monthly water charge remains so low when the real cost of producing and distributing treated water is clearly much higher. Many of us will spend fifteen dollars for five gallons of bottled water without hesitation, yet question the true cost of piped water delivered to our homes. If we want better service, we must also be honest about what it takes to fund it.
Politicizing water while resisting practical solutions does not help anyone.
Instead of turning water into a political football, let us focus on education and transparency. I am calling on our polical leaders to educate citizens about sustainable water management. Explain the investment required for desalination and pipeline upgrades. Share a clear roadmap of what is being done, what it will cost and how long it will take. Hold the authorities accountable, yes. But let us also be informed.
More than two billion people worldwide do not have reliable access to safe water. We all have the internet at our fingertips. A little research would show that water scarcity is a global issue, not an Antigua problem alone.
Antigua is not perfect. But for a small island state, visible investments and improvements are happening. It is a journey. It will take time. It will take money. And it will take cooperation.
So vote on real issues. Economic growth that improves our household stability, Education, Opportunities, Safety, Long term resilience.
Water deserves serious conversation, not political theatre.
Anonymous
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HAAAAA!! Let’s see how many people politicize this article….
Better question would be “when will we stop politicizing EVERYTHING in Antigua?”
@anonymous
Can you please go back to 2014 and researched who made water an election issue?
Moma can’t bathe, papa can’t bathe, etc, so y now it shouldn’t be an issue when your party promised resolution within 14 days of attaining power- it’s more like 14 years now and ROBIN can’t even bathe.
You labor party Red cool-aid Drinker. Were you here or Hybernating when the Antigua Labor Party Use water as a Big issue to win Election in 2014? How quickly you forgot Robin Yearwood slogan, Granny cannot Bathe and any political party who cannot provide essential water Should be Voted out of Office? The promise to repair the water in 14 Days if they win the Election has never materialize. It is now 12 yrs ,what say you Miss Red cool-aid Drinker?
The picture shows Apua workers are executing the job without any consideration for safety, the hole is dug vertically instead of diagonally slanted, and there is no consideration for shoring material to stop soil collapse that can cover the worker down in that trench, which has happened many time in the pass, but the managers are just delightful of sitting in the office daily playing with their finger nails and enjoying the incentives of a manager when they have no experience in the field of work practically to be the manager.
The pipes will continue to burst whether it’s the new pipe that is brought in lately where someone is making monies, the new pipes burst frequently too because of hydraulic transients, once water is turn on and off it will damage the pipes, unless they get flywheel valves or aerial tanks to mitigate the transients shock, or simply ask the worker to turn on in increments that could take an inordinate amount of time to execute one task.
The APUA workmen are innocent and are doing what has been pass down to them from the politicians who is commanding their immediate boss, the politicians have no idea about the water network system.
@Anonymous
I think you mean to say that it should not be partisan. EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL. EVEN THE AIR WE BREATHE. But it is funny how you say that you are not a supporter of a particular political party; yet you posit that the issue cannot be fixed overnight. Well let me tell you, it has not been overnight. It has been years upon years of mismanagement that has gotten us to the point where we are. The most basic expectation is that a government provides services to its citizens such as roads and water. When you start to make excuses as to why you are not receiving said services, you lose my interest. Stop making excuses and expect more from your elected officials. The country will never get where it should be when you excuse BS.
Remind dem of ABLP’S promises @eau … Remind dem! 👍🏾
Anonymous is an anonymous backside, when Robin Yearwood, Molwyn Joseph et al were beating up on then Government about the water situation, where was he or she. These BLOODY HYPOCRITES always exposing their RED behinds. It was even said certain people in Government were in business profiting off the water situation
If the electorate can buy the lie of 500 houses in 500 days, then they’ll buy the lie regarding many other issues which should not be politicized.
@Hazel Roberts Antigua & Barbuda is definitely in need of Occupational guidelines overhaul.
@Writer What you say could be taken seriously if we didn’t have examples of countries similar to ours which do not have water issues. Aruba is a little larger than Antigua with about the same size population. Just like us they are a desert island. Zero rivers.
They have one large desalination plant that provides water for the entire country. No one is asking the government to fix infrastructural issues overnight but it is taking way too long.
As it relates to the price of water. They should eliminate the $22 base cost and charge us for the actual water that we get. Some people will pay far less than that $22 per month.
P. S. Aruba has no water issues.
well said
The Anonymous author should have said this when Sir Robin Yearwood had politicized the water situation while UPP was in government. There was no way the former UPP administration could fix the decade-long water situation in two terms. I’m happy to see that the author of this article realizes that no government can fix the water in a couple of terms. It takes years to get it done. The former administration started the work, and the present administration is continuing to fix the water problem. If the opposition is politicizing the water situation, they are taking a leaf from Sir Robin Yearwood’s campaign book. Politics is about pointing out the wrong in each political party.
Thumbs up
I can think so many more things that our legislative elects should change or improve instead of water:
1. The primitive dress code in a tropical island. Can’t wear strapless, sandals, shorts
2. The length of time Social security takes to pay maternity benefit, sick leave or begin paying retirees.
3. Why should working eligible citizen need a Minister to give a letter of approval to purchase land
4. Why is it still so hard to conduct business in government offices. 2026 make more business transactions accessible online and one stop process for in person
5. Why isn’t there transparent and accessible employment opportunities. It should be go to your Minister
6. Why isn’t there a hotline number or website for Ministry of Works to report potholes, similarly to APUA 211 or 311
7. The increase on licensing for vehicles need to be revised paying over $900 for a used mid-sized suv is insane. While i support a fund for road improvement the existing price structure need to be looked at not all poor people drive vitz.
8. Why isn’t there a regulatory division for companies like APUA. Disputes take an eternity and not at the mercy of who wants to help
this is not drama so many will scroll pass this. the kinda real change we need
Review and change the way child support is calculated and disbursed to the parent. how can $75 be enough to take care of a child in this economy. please fix it. I will vote for this
How about looking into the legal Ponzi scheme called insurance. especially property insurance. now the banks are forcing all this on homeowners. insurance dont give back nothing not even a rebate for home improvement, they increase as they like, when you have to make a claim is all antics. Government need to look into how insurance raping poor people.
I wish political parties would do polls or surveys on issues that really matters and make sense. Just like income tax, insurance a murda people
fix insurance injustice, campaign on that. I hope the prime minister sees this
well said.
How about ANR – Antigua Newsroom fixes itself and stop their selective reporting and citizens commenting, regardless of who they support.
ANR is politicizing comments, particularly the editors who works during the morning hours.
@Right Winger could you please pass the ⚽️ ball, on that brilliant corner kick, so that, I can head it home – BTW #CONGRATULATIONS to the young #BENNA_BOYS U20 on beating the DR…1 – nil to reach the Concacaf Championship later this Summer.
Yeah @Right Winger your comment speaks to the P.I.M.P. Syndrome – Planning Implementation Management of the Peoples assets, and it has being endemic in Our Nation for decades.
Until the People, the government of the streets and not the government on paper actually demand respect and stop being PIMPed by poliTRICKtans, then they’ll get the services which ALL PEOPLE, not just some are entitled to.
What did Bob say, “me go throw me carne, me nar call none fowl.”
And, Sparrow said. “these good citizens are the architects, of #economic_slavery!”
In #Five_On_The_BlackHand Side
even the Harlem Knights PIMPS knew, they gotta take care of the product, the b*+<h, ya dig🤵🏽♂️
Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
De’ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrate_Bastard
Vere Edwards
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