Water Shortage on St Helena Remains Serious

WATER SHORTAGE ON ST HELENA REMAINS SERIOUS

Still Just Over One Week’s Stored Water in Redhill Zone

All Residents Urged to Continue Saving Water

The water shortage on St Helena remains severe, with stored water levels at Redhill still exceptionally low. Meanwhile, the lack of significant rainfall is forecast to continue.

Consumption in the affected areas has settled at around 250 cubic metres per day (down from the normal 400), and we thank residents in the Redhill distribution zone for their efforts in reducing consumption. This is recognised and significant. But we must continue stretching this valuable resource in the Redhill zone and across the Island.

Please continue to reduce your water consumption and use only for essential purposes for the foreseeable future.

This message goes out to the Island as a whole, as bowsering and pumping from reliable sources clearly has implications for the totality of St Helena’s water supplies. Water is ultimately a finite resource on the Island.

The Contingency Planning Group (CPG) is examining all water sources on St Helena and doing everything possible to extend planned supplies to Redhill. Piped and pumped solutions are now part of the picture, as well as secure bowsering. An additional bowser from Ascension Island will be arriving on 20 June. A technical plan, including some procurement of equipment, is also in place – and the media is invited to a briefing on this and the overall picture on Friday 14 June at 2pm, in the Council Chamber.

All of this is aimed at securing reliable and sustainable sources for Redhill, with July and August in mind. In the longer term, some permanent infrastructure changes on St Helena as a whole are likely.

Bearing in mind the ultimately finite nature of domestic water on the Island – and the current weather – we continue to urge all residents to please use less of this precious resource.

Notes to Editors:

A leaflet – Your Top Ten Tips to Saving Water – is now available in local shops, and in this week’s newspapers. Please pick up a copy. The leaflet reminds you that you can save water in numerous ways, including:

• Not flushing the toilet on every occasion
• Using washing up water on the garden or vegetable patch
• Using the washing machine sparingly and only when full
• Taking a short shower instead of a bath – you can save up to 90 gallons of water a week
• Turning the tap off while brushing teeth – this could save 25 gallons of water a month
• Using a bowl when washing vegetables or fruit instead of using running water
• Checking your taps for leaks and fixing them – a small drip can amount to 20 gallons a day.

SHG
12 June 2013

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St Helena Government Communications Hub

Telephone: 22470
Email: kimberley.peters@sainthelena.gov.sh