Melford Nicholas Pledges 24/7 Water for Eastern Communities by Saturday
Utilities Minister Melford Nicholas has pledged that residents of the eastern communities, including St. Philip’s North, will have round-the-clock water supply by the end of Saturday, following complaints from constituents who say they have gone weeks without running water.
Responding at a constituency town hall meeting on Thursday night, Nicholas acknowledged the frustration of residents and said their concerns were justified.
“What you have asked for, my dear, is totally within reason,” he said. “Before the end of Saturday, the entire eastern villages will have 7 by 24 water. I give you that pledge now.”
Nicholas said the commitment was made before Cabinet earlier that day after a reorganisation of resources to improve water distribution in the area.
He admitted that while national water production has increased significantly — “three times more water” — challenges remain in moving water across the island, particularly to the far eastern districts.
“Not enough resources are available yet to make this a reality for the entire island,” he said, explaining that infrastructure limitations have affected supply to some communities.
The minister also disclosed that he received what he described as “an angry” call from Prime Minister Gaston Browne earlier in the day, underscoring the urgency of the issue.
“To understand and appreciate the urgency of this particular matter,” Nicholas said, noting that the Prime Minister’s intervention reflected the seriousness of the complaints coming from residents.
As part of the response, Nicholas said Cabinet has approved funding for an automatic water switching system to replace the manual process of opening and closing valves at locations such as Cock Pond and Church Pond. The upgrade, he said, will allow the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) to redirect water more efficiently and maintain consistent supply.
“For the time being… we have asked that we put in place a robust team to ensure that we can switch the water here,” he said.
Nicholas told residents they should be able to access water at any time of day once the changes take effect.
“Whether you get up at 4 o’clock in the morning to take a shower, or you get home at 8 in the evening and you want to do some laundry, the water should be there on demand. Hold me accountable to that from Saturday evening.”
He invited residents to contact him directly if the problem persists after the deadline, providing his phone number and encouraging community members to report any ongoing issues.
“I’m not vexed with you. I welcome your contribution,” he told one resident who raised the complaint. “It has my full and undivided attention.”
The minister said the water issue in the eastern communities has now become a top priority as the government works to stabilise supply across the island.
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What a miracle!!!!!!!!
Not in 14 days, but in a week St Phillips North residents will have water flowing 24 hours a day!!
….ALL BECAUSE OF A ‘BUY’ ELECTION.
THE ANIGUA LABOUR PARTY NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME. THEY USE THE SAME PLAY BOOK ALL THE TIME AND WE FALL FOR IT.
Notice the minister never said ALL ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, ‘but’ the eastern side of the island, which is basically the are for the ‘buy’ election
So while they send water east sone where in the country will be sacrificed for until after a bi election then what after March 16th. Please don’t tell me Antiguans are so gullible. Water distribution is necessary in the entire country not just at elections.
People, this is ABSOLUTE bullshit!
The same promise was made just before the last general elections.
Running up to the election, we had water flowing through the pipes, FULL FORCE. days after the election and to this day as I write this, water coming through the pipes are as sporadic as ever.
The blasted government NEEDS to stop this ignorance of making promises for the delivery is BASIC things.
In 2026 it is SHAMEFUL that any government should be making campaign promises over water delivery to homes and proper roads! These are things that should have been in place donkey decades ago!
Waste of time politicians you all are. You DON’T care about the constituents, you see it as a popularity contest, and lining your pockets with our money.
Randy Baltimore may be a very decent guy.
However if you show me your company is will tell you a lot about yourself.
Why in 2020 should we be having water issues?
Robin is retiring after 50 years of representation.
For the majority of those years he has been the minister of public utilities.
Can someone please remind the laboRATs that water and everything water falls under that ministry.
Antigua has more reverse osmosis plant per square mile than any other country in the world.
The amount given out for finders fee to ministers could have given every citizen his or her own mini desalination plant.
On tge eve of the by-election there comes the party that has failed the constituency and nation promising the people like a child being promised candy.
St Phillips North, wise men came from the east.
It is true they didn’t remain there.
However, there is always an exception to the rule.
Let it be known that some wise men are still in the east.
Let you education identify you.
Do not continue the same mistakes.
You community deserves better.
Vote for Change.
Vote Alex Browne.
The ABLP Cabal treats Antiguans like dogs and throw them a few scraps when they want to be elected to do as they so choose with the public funds. Even PAWS stray dogs get better treatment.
And what happens after the by-election back to once per week? Pathetic!
Antiguans wake up. This is a total con job the ABLP has been playing for the pass 40 years out of 50 in power. When ever elections are called, they have all the answers. I hope people remember the water problem was to be resolved in 14 days. I guess they meant 14 years. Don’t be fooled. After of a sudden they are also concerned about cost of living . UPP was the administration that tried their best to help poor people. Dollar barrel, school uniform,school meals,electricity grant,and food cards for the most vulnerable in society. They get back in power and cut the school uniform from two to one ,took away the free water the kids were getting with meals,the dollar barrel is now $ 50 .We are paying far more taxes in the last 11 years ,vehicle license, ABST,police record,immigration fee etc. Wake up my people. They are enriching themselves through nepotism and corruption. Stop taking hand outs for your votes. You have the power ,not them . You will see how they come around begging in the next few weeks to win that seat. All kind of goodies will be offered and back door incentives for your votes. Show them your value. Whether it is ABLP or UPP ,let your Christian principles guide you.
The thing is that these are politicians talking about the water situation for performative politics, with all of the expense they are running the country in assuming that all the pipes are bad and therefore resulting in burst pipes is flawed and ill advised, and come to think of it , politicians creates the situation then come with the solutions been monetized.
What if their is incentives or benefits going to someone’s pocket to procure the new piping system which will eventually suffer the same fate as the old pipes, because the operative word is water will be turned on. Now let’s look at the process from the start of turning on and off the water, that is exactly the destruction of the pipes, each time the valves are closed and open the pipes suffer from “HYDRAULIC TRANSIENTS” that is simply air hammering, which is like solid concrete expansion into the pipe, it carry a kinetic energy which causes the pipe to wriggle and suffer abrasion from it’s surrounding environment and fail, so as long as the water is turn off and on it will continue regardless of which new pipe is used. There is ways to mitigate the damage to these pipes due to dynamics, the operator could be ask to turn on valve incrementally which would require more man hours to complete one task, or add in a fly wheel valve to do the job, the next option is to have water towers in line something like a mushroom structure that sits above the pipe towering high above , this would adjust to the water hydraulic transients and protect the pipes from damage.
Now to water availability with less cost, If they had a flash system at the power plant areas water production would be cheaper or even water distillation like tango power station use to produce water, but that same minister yearwood created the situation which is tango failure to burden us with the solutions of contracting private water company. the R.O water plants we have now is costly and consume lots of electricity with bad power factor correction issues due to line construction and transients and power suppression, .my field was medium voltage live line work techniques to deliver constant uninterrupted power to the customers, but no one in APUA wanted to even think of it, I was trained in a college and had experience working in utility company outside of Antigua. Had to leave because my training puts me on a position or perception to those in charge as institutional confrontation that looks like personal threat to their position, but APUA shall fall in in line to the direction I was heading one day.
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