27 JULY 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Drilling for More Water in Nevis Adapted from Information by the Nevis Island Administration The Caribbean island of Nevis relies heavily on rainfall for its water supply. With the island experiencing diminished rainfall this year, the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) has decided to drill for new sources of groundwater. The NIA awarded the contract to Water and Oil Well Service Company Limited out of Trinidad. “As soon as the contract is signed, Water and Oil Well Service Company Limited will mobilize and commence drilling here on the island of Nevis. This is a very important drilling contract for Nevis because on completion we are expecting to see one million gallons of additional water brought online, and we are hoping that that will be achieved in very short order,” explained the Honourable Spencer Brand, Minister with resposibility for Water Services for NIA. The country’s upcoming 50th Anniversary of Culturama and Homecoming Celebrations, which run from late July into early August, could strain the already struggling water distribution system. This has led to a sense of urgency at the NIA to move quickly on the drilling project. “I’ve said to the Minister with responsibility for water, the Honourable Spencer Brand, how are we going to ensure that we don’t have any collapse in the water system if we are expecting thousands of people here for Culturama? So he’s aware of it, and we are hopeful that we can expedite that drilling and get additional water into the system in time for late July early August when we expect the island to be inundated with persons. So the Minister has his marching orders from the Cabinet that we need to proceed with alacrity to get the drilling done,” explained Premier Brantley. In 2023, the government hired experts to obtain geotechnical data to identify new sources of water; the data will be used to guide the drilling process. The NIA is targeting 2.5 million gallons of water overall with the drilling of several wells across the island. In the initial stage of the project, the government intends to drill wells in three areas - Stoney Hill, Braziers, and Dasent’s Estate. The NIA has already begun construction of a solar-powered desalination plant to augment the water supply. The plant is part of a federal pilot project funded through the United Arab Emirates Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund. Solar power was selected for the plant to combat the high cost of electricity. Water from the ocean will be accessed through a coastal well; brackish water from the well will be pumped to a reverse osmosis unit. From there, it will be filtered and passed through membranes, while demineralization is used to make the water more palatable before it is injected into the water network. The desalination plant is expected to produce around 30,000 gallons of water per day; on average, the Nevisian public uses 1.6 million gallons of water per day. Once online, the plant will serve as a test venture for the government to determine if the project should be expanded in the future. Editor’s Note: In between our print issues, the WWDR Team prepares an electronic newsletter called E-News Flash by WorldWide by WorldWide Drilling Resource®. This newsletter is filled with articles not included in our print issue. Based on readership, this was the most popular article of the month. Get in on the action and subscribe today at: worldwidedrillingresource.com WTR Drilling for the coastal well in St. James.
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