St Kitts announces successful water drilling project

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) – The St Kitts and Nevis government says its multi-million dollar (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) ground water drilling project has recorded a major breakthrough following the successful drilling of a new groundwater well in Saddlers, north of here. It said that the Saddlers well is the first to be drilled under the project being undertaken by St Kitts Water Services Department, in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago-based Water and Oil Well Services and technical specialists. The programme forms part of the government’s broader strategy to expand water production and move St Kitts towards reliable 24-hour water service island-wide.

The government said that the Saddlers site was prioritised following extensive airborne surveying and hydrogeological assessments that identified 17 prospective drilling locations across St Kitts, with the wider exploration programme focusing heavily on communities that have historically experienced intermittent water service. Drilling at Saddlers has now been completed, with the well reaching a total depth of approximately 640 feet after encountering the water table at roughly 500 feet. The project team is currently conducting safe-yield testing to determine the amount of water that can be sustainably extracted from the source over time.

The government said that initial testing has already produced approximately 175 US gallons of water per minute and project manager Joshua Ross has described the Saddlers well as “a very promising well,” noting that the projected output represents an exceptional volume of water from a single groundwater source. The authorities say that once the permanent pump is installed and final testing is completed, work will advance on construction of the pump house, installation of associated infrastructure and connection of the new supply to the existing water distribution system. “The additional supply is expected to significantly strengthen water availability for Saddlers and surrounding communities, including Harris’ Village, Lavington and Belle Vue.

Officials have also indicated that, because of the volume of water anticipated from the well, the new supply could potentially be redirected to support other neighbouring areas when required,” the government said in a statement. “The significance of the find is underscored by the fact that the existing source supplying the S…