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- “When ministers of government are allowed to claim, it’s all about my project, which most times are not aligned with national development, the focus and emphasis shift to the party-political,” said a regional economist. “National development must cut across politics to generate strong economic reform.”
- Hanging onto greased poles: (1) The UWP argues that current borrowing for WASCO should “have been prioritised for use under the CIP “ […] “placing yet another financial burden on Saint Lucian taxpayers, (2) adding to the billions already borrowed during the administration’s tenure,” and (3) claiming, “Saint Lucians should not have to pay today for the government’s failure to plan yesterday.”
- Saint Lucia’s recurring water insecurity and short-term measures must transcend a values-based forum towards actionable outcomes, while focusing on sustainable, long-term impact for development goals.
By Caribbean News Global 
CASTRIES, St Lucia – The United Workers Party (UWP) on Friday, expressed deep concern over the worsening water crisis affecting thousands of households, businesses and communities across Saint Lucia, where families have endured weeks and in some cases months without reliable access to portable water. In addition, says the UWP, businesses are struggling to operate, and hotels, during the height of the tourism season, are facing severe disruptions, sum-up the UWP narrative.
“Water is a basic human necessity. It is essential to public health, to the dignity of our citizens, and to the functioning of our economy. When communities are left without water for extended periods, the situation moves beyond inconvenience and becomes a national emergency.” The UWP also stated it “supports urgent and responsible measures to restore a reliable water supply to affected communities” … and that “the necessary investments must be made to stabilise and modernise the country’s water infrastructure. Ensuring that water reaches homes, communities, and businesses must always be treated as a national priority.”
Trading places
On May 21, 2018, the then, UWP government of Saint Lucia, through the Water and Sewage Company (WASCO), on May 21, 2018, held the groundbreaking ceremony to signal the commencement of works on the first phase of the John Compton Dam Rehabilitation Project. The desilting project will see the removal of approximately 1.5 million cubic meters of sediment from the reservoir.”
- Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre’s administration previously stated that “Despite the spending of XCD 59 million on desilting by the former administration, only 8 percent of the material was removed.”
- WASCO’s infrastructure rehabilitation is estimated at XCD 200 million, which taxpayers will now have to suddenly fund grudgingly.
March 13, 2026, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), announced advance short-term water support measures, including how the 5Cs can assist the government of Saint Lucia in advancing national initiatives aimed at safeguarding the island’s water resources. The guarantee of operational and capital financing, while taxpayers subsidise WASCO at XCD 1.2 million per month.
“However,” said the UWP, “supporting urgent measures to address the crisis does not absolve the current administration of the responsibility for allowing the situation to deteriorate to this point.”
The blame game
The UWP constricts the narrative to Pierre’s administration’s first term, claiming:
“For nearly five years, this administration has had both the authority and the financial resources to strengthen the country’s water infrastructure. During this period, this government has stated that Saint Lucia benefited from record levels of revenue under the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) -a programme specifically designed to finance major national development projects, including critical infrastructure such as water security.
“Yet despite these resources, the government failed to prioritise the modernisation of the water system. Critical infrastructure, which has deteriorated over time, has long-standing weaknesses in the distribution network that have remained unresolved, and essential works such as the continued dredging and maintenance of the John Compton Dam have not been sustained at the level necessary to secure the island’s long-term water supply.”
Reports indicate that the backstory regarding the dredging and maintenance of the John Compton Dam should clarify – St Lucia opposition queries water authority WASCO, under the UWP administration.
In the interim, the UWP’s ‘black Friday’ press release advised:
“Instead of investing the available CIP resources in strengthening the systems that sustain daily life and economic activity, these millions of dollars from the CIP programme were directed toward projects that appear designed more for short-term political advantage than for long-term national development.”
Mindful of the botched dredging and maintenance of the John Compton Dam; Task 5: Recommend a New Tariff Scheme 3.1 Demands forecasts for billed consumption and customer projections and USD 22,829,181.00 loan from the Caribbean Development Bank to finance the John Compton Dam Raw Water Pipeline Replacement Project, ‘today,’ says the UWP, “the consequences of those decisions are painfully clear.”
Hanging onto greased poles
(1) The UWP argues that current borrowing for WASCO should “have been prioritised for use under the CIP “ […] “placing yet another financial burden on Saint Lucian taxpayers, (2) adding to the billions already borrowed during the administration’s tenure,” and (3) claiming, “Saint Lucians should not have to pay today for the government’s failure to plan yesterday.”
Conversely, the UWP should not attempt to escape responsibility for Saint Lucia’s water crisis, while stating “families are left without water, businesses are struggling to operate, and the tourism sector-the backbone of our economy-is now being forced to explore extraordinary measures to secure water supplies in order to protect Saint Lucia’s international reputation.”
The qualifying state of Saint Lucia’s current water woes is inseparable from prior water emergencies dating back to February 23, 2010: Amidst drought conditions, government announces declaration of water-related emergency pursuant to section 10 of the Water and Sewage Act No. 14 of 2005.
May 21, 2015: The government of Saint Lucia has declared a water-related emergency for all parts of the island, effective May 20 until July 31.
May 11, 2020: The cabinet of Saint Lucia is considering a proposal to declare a water emergency, it has been announced. Last week, the Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) indicated that it is facing major challenges in managing its water supply amidst current drought conditions.
May 21, 2024, citing Statutory Instrument, 2024, No. 76 and in 2026: “We are preparing for what would appear to be one of the worst dry spells in the last ten to 15 years … our message for 2026 will definitely be water conservation.”~ CEO of WASCO, Zilta George-Leslie.
UWP pet peeves grows
The UWP has taken exception to “raising allegations of irregularities about past infrastructure projects,” and instead laid Saint Lucia’s water crisis at Pierre’s administration, citing “deflection” – “political distraction and attempts to shift blame,” while Saint Lucians are “struggling without reliable access to water.”
The UWP has also accused the Pierre administration of not “focusing on securing the country’s water future,” adding, “this government is now attempting to rewrite history while households and businesses struggle with empty taps.”
The UWP acknowledges that the “John Compton Dam remains the single most important water source serving the north of the island,” and has come to an understanding that “ensuring that it operates at full capacity through proper maintenance, continued dredging, and long-term planning should have been treated as a consistent national priority.”
The UWP has also now admitted that it “believes [that] water must never be treated as a political tool, and declared “Saint Lucians deserve leadership focused on solutions not excuses.”
As a result, “The UWP believes the lesson from this crisis is simple: when government fails to plan for essential national infrastructure, the people are left to pay the price. Water security must never again be treated as an afterthought in national development.”
Ongoing realities
That core is no more when ministers of government and permanent secretaries are no longer guided by a Central Planning Unit (CPU) to administer National Development Plans.
“When ministers of government are allowed to claim, it’s all about my project, which most times are not aligned with national development, the focus and emphasis shift to the party-political,” said a regional economist. “National development must cut across politics to generate strong economic reform.”
St Lucia struggling with climate change – torrential rain and floods
Saint Lucia must transition to a reliable portable water mechanism for national development and economic growth to exceed 4.5 percent annually. Operating below this threshold is considered average, and not sufficient, to sustain strong economic and private investment projects, and local businesses across the island.
Saint Lucia’s recurring water insecurity and short-term measures must transcend a values-based forum towards actionable outcomes, while focusing on sustainable, long-term impact for development goals.
