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Government Issues Tender Notice for Seawater Desalination Water Project

The water woes being suffered by Barbadians – especially in the North – for the last year merits serious discussion and action. The other issue being promoted by government – celebrating 5o years of Independence – has been competing valiantly for top spot. Using commonsense only there is agreement that there is no single issue…

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Tender by BWA for Construction of a Seawater Desal Plant
Tender by BWA for Construction of a Seawater Desal Plant

The water woes being suffered by Barbadians – especially in the North – for the last year merits serious discussion and action. The other issue being promoted by government – celebrating 5o years of Independence – has been competing valiantly for top spot. Using commonsense only there is agreement that there is no single issue more important than the affordable and sustainable generation and distribution of potable water at this time.

Barbadians should be grateful to witness Minister of Water David Estwick being smoked out from Hoadies by the Opposition Party to inform those who elected him the plan to correct the serious problem of water supply in this country. One bit of information shared by a bombastic David Estwick in his blustery delivery at a news conference – listen to news conference thanks to VoB –  this week is that the BWA has issued a tender to build a Seawater Desalination Water Augmentation facility. It appears he has invoked powers embedded in the law to instruct his cash strapped BWA Board to commit the government to long term liability. The people of Barbados will be eternally in your ‘debt’ Minister Estwick.

Read  Seawater Desalination Water Augmentation facility Tender Document.

78 responses to “Government Issues Tender Notice for Seawater Desalination Water Project”

  1. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    David January 18, 2016 at 1:56 PM #

    Rain water harvesting another solution,which will be a lot cheaper for the govt to activate by giving rebates on tanks or establishing a tank fund for the poorer people to repay over a given period of time.

    Why do we always go for expensive things and run the country further in debt……is it to find work for those who prepare studies that are seldom used?

    http://www.barbadostoday.bb/2016/01/19/off-course-4/

  2. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    The other good about harvesting is that it decentralizes storage and eases the BWA.

  3. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    David January 19, 2016 at 9:14 AM #

    Chuckle…….you should listen to Corry on Brasstacks,he is definitely a follower of BU as he is repeating what I/we have said…….Studies upon studies in offices all over the island……We dont need ideas,we need to implement the solutions found……and…..we are suffering from acute implementation deficit disorder (AIDD)……..he is on fire today.

  4. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    David

    Below is the second glib statement by the MoA……if he wanted to have a greater focus on Ag. all he had to do was to actually start a series of young farmers clubs or 4-H clubs,both of which are international organisation.

    Which begs the question how serious can he be taken in his water pronouncements?

    http://www.barbadostoday.bb/2016/01/19/estwick-wants-greater-agriculture-focus-in-schools/

  5. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    Hit air, there is an election to be won.

  6. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    Hot air, there is an election to be won.

  7. Kammie Holder Avatar
    Kammie Holder

    Some of you may be aware wells like cane fields carried names. I can remember names such as Samscott, Susie and Pussum. These wells were know as feeder wells and are all in the vicinity of 120 feet deep. The aforementioned feeder wells are not unique to the St John area where I grew up but could be found all over Barbados. Unfortunately, with the change of use of plantation lands these wells have all but disappeared due to housing construction and those that are still in existence are starved of gushing flows due to altered water courses.

    60% of the water in the aquifers in Barbados is deposited during the wet season June to December according to published studies. The water problem clearly shows a lack of foresight and critical thinkers within the BWA as well as the Infrastructural Committee of Government.

    We are truly Reactors!

  8. David Avatar
    David

    Robinson’s interaction with Corey Layne today was instructive.

  9. Kammie Holder Avatar
    Kammie Holder

    What`s the true economic benefit of the UWI?

    Why could this not be a UWI student?
    http://news.yahoo.com/self-filling-water-bottle-converts-humid-air-drinkable-153212372.html

  10. Kammie Holder Avatar
    Kammie Holder

    http://www.livescience.com/53398-new-bike-attachment-generates-water-as-you-ride-video.html

  11. David Avatar
    David

    Off course!

    Well-known social commentator and St Andrew farmer Richard Hoad has poured cold water on Government’s plan to construct two desalination plants as a long-term solution to the water woes facing the island, especially residents in…

  12. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    They been told for more than 4 decades about all that rain water running into the sea….steupss.

  13. Kammie Holder Avatar
    Kammie Holder

    FORWARD OSMOSIS:

    750 million people don’t have access to clean water. Desalination, or the removal of salt from seawater, is not a new concept and has been widely criticized for the amount of energy used during the reverse osmosis process. Trevi Systems is using a new technology, “forward osmosis,” to make fresh water without the high price tag.

    http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2015/09/10/elon-evolution-clean-water-forward-osmosis.cnnmoney/index.html?iid=ob_article_video&iid=obnetwork

  14. Kammie Holder Avatar
    Kammie Holder

    http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2015/09/10/elon-evolution-clean-water-forward-osmosis.cnnmoney/index.html?iid=ob_article_video&iid=obnetwork

  15. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    David

    Not getting what Kammie posted at 9.07&9.09 a.m

  16. John Avatar
    John

    Where I live I have absolutely no problems with the BWA water supply.

    But I know in due course there will be outages as efforts to get water to affected areas at higher elevations continue.

    Sorry that there was no first world planning that went into the development of Barbados and I am left in this situation but it is what it is.

    I have no problems with that, I have no choice.

    I will apply some first world planning to my situation.

    I know I need to replace the >60 year old plumbing at home so here is what I plan to do step by step as an everyday contribution to the solution of the problems created by shoddy third world planning.

    Make sure the laundry room and flush tank for the toilet are on the same “circuit”.
    Supply this circuit from a small pump system with a pressure tank which is fed from a 50 gallon storage tank.

    The pump doesn’t need to be very powerful, <1/2 hp could work because it doesn’t matter if the washing machine or flush tank fills slowly or quickly, they just need to fill.

    Pressure is not an issue.

    I will probably use a pump system that keeps the pressure between 20 and 40psi, lower is fine too so 10-30psi could work!!

    Work on the roof guttering and direct the roof run off to the storage tank.

    Doesn’t have to be the whole roof to start with!!

    See what methods exist on youtube to keep roof debris out so the pump is not affected.

    Perhaps upgrade the storage to 200 gallons, but I know I can top up the 50 gallon storage tank from the mains if necessary.

    In time I will have 200 gallons available in storage and won’t use any water from BWA for the washing machine and toilet.

    In time look to supply the pump system by a small solar electric system.
    Look at how to treat the rain water collected to ensure it always potable.
    Supply the rest of the house from the pump system and upgrade it and the solar electric system if necessary.

    The pump system I start with may have the capacity to supply the whole house so the solar system may also be sized from the beginning to supply the whole house.

    I’ll see how “First World” a solution I can afford at the beginning but in time I will be independent of the Thirld World mentality as has been applied to water as I can be.

    Safety first however, step by step next!!

  17. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    David

    We need to have a place to put suggestions/plans like John’s above.

    On the VoB 1230 news Bizzy made a suggestion of a dam instead of the saltwater desal plants and stated as we have said before that all the solutions are right here we know them…..The Scotland district,St.Andrew was identified for dams decades ago,we have/had qualified engineers in this area for eons……implementation deficit disorder.

  18. are-we-there-yet Avatar
    are-we-there-yet

    John;

    Excellent, practical ideas for a rainwater harvesting system.

    Vincent; I also like your idea of BU having a technical advice section that could provide answers to such questions as:

    How much clorox should I use per 100 gallons of storage and how often should I repeat the adding of clorox to the system ?

    Where can I get the correct type of clorox for safe use in rainwater systems as the commercially available clorox contains a reasonably large percentage of Sodium Hydroxide that can cause health and other problems, such as corrosion, if it is used for this purpose?

    Are everyday Plumbers proficient in setting up and servicing rain water harvesting systems or are there specialists in this area that should be utilized?

    How do I ensure that the system used does not harbour mosquitoes (John’s earlier youtube posts gave some guidance in that regard but I don’t know where one could get the paint screen that was recommended there)?

    How does one prevent monkeys from defecating on the roofs from which the water is being harvested?

    Is it possible to set up a domestic home system here that would produce potable water?

    Would one need to get such a system passed by relevant Government agencies?

    Are there Barbados guidelines and standards for setting up and maintaining such systems?

  19. are-we-there-yet Avatar
    are-we-there-yet

    Richard Hoad Bushtea and John and many others have been making very practical workable and very inexpensive solutions for correcting our water woes.

    Here’s another one that could entice more homeowners to engage in rain harvesting schemes. Why can’t the government offer an income tax allowance for people investing in such systems?

    OK, I know that this Government has just dismantled practically all the tradition allowances that were available to taxpayers and wouldn’t be interested now in any new incentives but perhaps, just perhaps it might make sense to offer such incentives instead of spending millions on expensive desalinization projects.

  20. David Avatar
    David

    What we have found through the years is that creating pages on the menu bar is not popular. Probably need to create a sidebar image with a link to the page. Let us try it and see how it works.

    >

  21. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    Interesting…..kill two birds with one stone.

    http://themindunleashed.org/2015/02/portland-just-installed-water-pipes-generate-electricity.html

  22. Kammie Holder Avatar
    Kammie Holder

    Grey Water Home Treatment System http://www.superiorwater.com/grey-water-systems/

  23. wildgeese Avatar
    wildgeese

    david da deal hahahahaha boy look, ya got sense? how come after the folks in st joseph march, ah miracle took place hahahahaha straight away, water water water, thanks for ur supernatural power, ya f…ing m’ron b!tch bast’rd everyone of u want putting in ah barrell and rolling off ah mount MISERY, hope this year would be it for wanna
    by the way wanna won’t cay pension up now 8 years come already…….sick sick miscreants

  24. wildgeese Avatar
    wildgeese

    barbados has in plenty water, what desal plants what, wasting taxpayers money..but thats nothing new wid u all…..steel always be in building works hahahahaha..Look cow dig a dam out farmers holding about 65 million gallons ah rain water….another one in the works at apes, and u de deal talking bout water crisis stupes. tell me where all that water from harrisons cave, porey spring, turners hall, greenland, foster fun land, ben spring, three houses, castle grant, mellowes, springfield, camebridge, hackeltons cliff to name ah few going……..to the same sea why not tap in those, or de steel comes easier? Look Barbadians there are ah lot more springs in bim, don’t pay that rubber teet pitbull na mind

  25. John Avatar
    John

    The thing to realise is that a human being can survive perfectly well with a two litre pet bottle of water per day.

    I know from my walkabouts in other Caribbean islands and South America with friends that not much is needed to survive.

    Water is heavy and having to carry what you need to drink quickly makes you minimize the load.

    The most I ever carried for a day was 4 litres which is just over a gallon.

    The real consumption of water in most households is in showers, toilet flushes and clothes washing.

    Irrigation is a luxury.

    If many households can become independent of the BWA for some of those aspects of consumption, demand will fall and more water will be available to share among households which are in water starved areas.

    Drinking water needs are really minimal!!

    … but you can’t confuse the two sources as health is paramount.

    Most houses these days are built with storage tanks as a condition of the permission to build.

    Not many people know what to do with the water the tanks collect from the roof.

    But it is there, waiting to be used by those who know what to do.

    If you do not know but want to, make it your business to find out.

    Water, a basic necessity of life can be deadly!!

    Perhaps we need the same system of licensing for plumbers as we have for electricians.

  26. Earle Toran Avatar
    Earle Toran

    You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!

  27. Elwood Stampka Avatar
    Elwood Stampka

    Wonderful paintings! That is the kind of information that are meant to be shared across the web. Disgrace on the seek for no longer positioning this submit upper! Come on over and visit my website . Thanks =)

  28. David Avatar
    David

    JADA has a work permit advertisement in today’s Nation for skilled A-Class carpenters and Masons.

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