Protecting the water supply
To support recovery efforts following the volcanic eruption of Soufrière, which last erupted in 2021, the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (GoSVG) has received financing from the World Bank and the European Commission for the Volcanic Eruption Emergency Project (VEEP). The present project the “Groundwater Sources at Higher Elevations to be Connected to Sandy Bay and Owia Systems” is a subproject under the umbrella of VEEP.
Two surface water schemes to be improved:
1. the improvement of water treatment on the Perseverance water supply system along with storage and distribution expansion, and
2. the improvement of the existing Fancy water supply system.
Location Perseverance:
Although the water intake and treatment plant (WTP) at the location of Perseverance is considered less vulnerable to mudflows, it experiences automatic shutdowns of the WTP due to high turbidity in cases of heavy rainfall.
According to measurements carried out at Perseverance WTP, the inflow to the plant is higher than the future demand of 70 m3/h (around 76 m3/h). The water intake and transmission line have sufficient capacity to meet the water demand.
Location Fancy:
Fancy is the northern most settlement on the island. The water supply system supplies the 500 inhabitants in Fancy. The Fancy Water Supply System is supplied from surface water sources situated on the slopes of the volcano. The recent explosive volcanic eruptions in April 2021 resulted in the deposit of thick layers of ash and pyroclastic material on the slopes of the volcano and are periodically washed into the supply river channels in the form of Lahars (mudflows) with every moderate to heavy rainfall event, leading to rapid increase in raw water turbidity.