St Helena Water Levels – Update

  • Island-wide water restrictions now in place but no change in consumption levels
  • Reservoirs remain at dangerously low levels
  • Recent rainfall has not improved the situation
  • This is an Island-wide issue and until the situation improves we must all restrict our water usage to essential use only

 St Helena water levels remain dangerously low with just 25 days of raw water level stock available on the Island (see photos attached of Harpers 3 Reservoir with one metre of water depth).

Connect Saint Helena Ltd (CSH) enforced Island-wide water restrictions from Monday, 24 June 2019, but so far there has been no change in consumption levels. Current consumption is around 400,000 litres per day greater than the water flowing into reservoirs.  This equates to about a 1.5% reduction in reservoir volume per day.  A reduction of 30% in consumption is required to stabilise reservoir levels.

To preserve our precious resource it is important that we cut down our water use to essential use only. Despite some rain over the last two days, this is not enough to improve the situation as this water only gets absorbed by the ground. At least two weeks of continuous meaningful rainfall is needed to make a positive difference in reservoir levels.

CSH is continuing to utilise other sources of water – tanks, boreholes & springs – and are back-pumping from Chubbs Spring to Red Hill and also bowsering from Jamestown to sustain available resources.

It is everyone’s responsibility to take great care in using our water and consumers are urged to reduce consumption wherever possible. St Helena residents, businesses and people who use water for agricultural purposes are also urged to exercise great care and restraint when using water.

Regular updates on reservoir levels will be issued to the public.

If you see anyone using water irresponsibly or notice a burst pipe or leak then please inform CSH immediately.

Every drop counts, every action counts – Everyone must save every drop of water possible.

#StHelena #WaterShortage #EveryDropCounts  

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St Helena Resilience Forum

25 June 2019

St Helena Government Communications Hub

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