Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen:

I am pleased to have you here at this contract signing this morning.

I would like to recognize the Minister of Public Works Hon. Desmond Bannister, MP;  members of the Local Government, Island Administrator Mrs. Desiree Ferguson, Chief Councilor Mr. Ian Knowles and Council Members; Water and Sewerage Corporation Board of Director present Mr. Bennett Minnis; Executive Management of the Water and Sewerage Corporation including Mr. Elwood Donaldson, General Manager, Mr. Robert Deal, DGM New Providence Operations and Engineering & Planning and Mr. Cyprian Gibson, AGM Family Island Division.

CDB LONG ISLAND LOTS 3&4 PROJECT

The Water and Sewerage Corporation is presently executing a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Water Supply Improvement Project funded by a $28.33 million loan from the Bank and $13.3 million in counterpart funding from the Government of The Bahamas.  This Project includes two (2) projects in New Providence and projects on six (6) different Family Islands including Long Island. Works are complete on San Salvador and we are approaching substantial completion on South Andros. Works have also been completed in Pinewood Gardens Phase B and Coral Lakes/Boatswain Hill on New Providence.

The proposed works on Long Island will be undertaken as two (2) lots as follows:

Lot 3:

1.    Approximately 22,000 feet of 4-inch PVC pipe

2.    Approximately 5,500 feet of 2-inch PVC pipe

3.    80 water service connections

The areas to be supplied with potable water for the first time by this Government include Millerton, Bunches, Deals, Scrub Hill, Simms and Doctors Creek Settlements.

Lot 4:

1.    Approximately 15,000 feet of 4-inch PVC pipe

2.    Approximately 25,000 feet of 2-inch PVC pipe

3.    100 water service connections

The areas to be supplied with potable water for the first time by this Government includes Doctors Creek, Bains, Morris’s and Wemyss Settlements

It should be noted that both these areas/lots will be fed via the existing reverse osmosis (RO) plant in Simms.

I have been advised that the completion of works should not exceed sixteen (16) months.

The value of this phase of works sums $4,092,720.03 (four million, ninety-two thousand, seven hundred and twenty dollars and three cents).

Ladies and Gentlemen we all know that we live in a hurricane zone and so the engineers have taken care to design the proposed water systems, so that they are robust to climate variability and climate change. They have identified potential climate change impacts along with the appropriate adaptation measures. For example, all of the pipelines that are laid along roadways which are adjacent to the sea will be laid at a depth of four feet, rather than the standard three feet and will be installed on the opposite side of the roadway from where the sea is. In fact, detailed studies have been conducted to identify all of the areas that would be underwater if a storm of high intensity hits Long Island. In all of these areas, the pipe will be laid at a depth of four feet.

I am indeed excited to be here today as the Executive Chairman of the Water and Sewerage Corporation and even more elated as your Member of Parliament to present this project of extending the potable water distribution system.  

We recognize that we have not yet covered all of Long Island in this initial project but this Government is committed to providing the entire island with a potable water system so we intend to expand the system as far and as fast as the budget will allow, whether under this project or through WSC in-house works.

To highlight the ongoing works in Long Island in Lots 1 & 2, works are steadily and successfully progressing, with Lot 2 (Stevens Settlement south to Clarence Town Settlement) nearing substantial completion and works in Lot 1 (Gray’s Settlement north to Slat Pond) are well underway. Overall progress as of May 31, 2019 indicates that the project is approximately 64% complete with a tentative completion date of October 2019. We commend BHM Co. Ltd for the work that they have done to date in these areas and anticipate an equally stellar performance in Long Island Lots 3 & 4. Similarly, we recognize N.O. Whyte & Associates Ltd. of Jamaica for their exemplary oversight as the Engineering Services Consultants of these CDB projects and for ensuring that the works are executed to the highest possible standard.

I again thank the Hon. Prime Minister for his unwavering support for the Corporation.

I also wish to publically thank the Caribbean Development Bank for its continued support of projects in The Bahamas and in particular at the Water and Sewerage Corporation.

I would like to give a special thanks to Mr. Silas Turnquest, Mrs. Melissa Cartwright and the entire team on the ground here in Long Island and all of the hardworking staff members in the Family Island Department who have worked tirelessly to maintain the Corporation’s existing systems on Long Island.

I wish to thank our Engineers and technicians in the Project Management Unit like Mr. Leslie Hutchinson, Ms. Ayla Isaacs, Mr. Aston Symonette, Mr. Jerry Storr, Mr. Brister Dean, Mr. Bernard McPhee and Mr. Hugo Andrews who are our rising stars for the future along with Mr. Vincent McDonald who has prepared all of the designs. Also, a thank you to the Engineers of N.O. Whyte and Associates for their technical assistance in reviewing and approving the designs and their overall project management.

I wish to commend all of the staff members of the Corporation who are the most dedicated and hardworking workers in all of The Bahamas.   

I wish to assure residents throughout all of the Family Islands that the Government will do everything in its power to ensure a safe and reliable water supply to residents. This Government is keenly aware of the needs in the various Family Islands and we are currently formulating plans to address them. Just last week we signed a contract for works to be undertaken in Crooked Island and in the very near future, we will announce the start of the tendering process for Cat Island.

Finally, I wish to thank members of the press for coming today and helping to spread the good news of this infrastructural development on Long Island.