DRONE SURVEY UNCOVERS 17 PROMISING GROUNDWATER SITES ACROSS SAINT KITTS

Basseterre, Saint Kitts, October 17, 2025 (SKNIS): The groundbreaking initiative taken by the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis to conduct a semi-airborne drone survey to identify new sources of groundwater has yielded positive results.

The report from the survey conducted across Saint Kitts was presented to the Water Services Department on October 06, 2025. At the Sitting of the National Assembly on Friday, October 17, 2025, Minister of Public Infrastructure, the Honourable Konris Maynard, shared that 17 sites have been identified with the promise to provide potable water – that is, water safe for consumption.

The sites are as follows: one in Cayon, two in Molineaux. two in Tabernacle, one in Belle Vue, and two in Saddlers. One site was also discovered between Parsons and Dieppe Bay, one in St. Pauls, one in Newton Ground, three sites in Sandy Point, one in Stone Fort, one in Old Road, and another in Challengers.

“We intend to pick the first best 10 of those sites as we go through the report to identify which ones have the best production capabilities,” Minister Maynard stated. He added that the Water Services Department is also assessing the Western and Northern sides of the island to ensure that “we maximise the groundwater resources” on the island.

While that assessment continues and testing is set to begin on the two-million-gallon Desalination Plant at the C. A. Paul Southwell Industrial Park, Minister Maynard said that the ministry took a proactive approach by advancing the procurement process to contract a driller for the new potable water sites expected from the hydrological survey. The bid was won by Water and Oil Well Services Ltd. out of Trinidad and Tobago, and the contract signed on September 22, 2025.

Following the report from the hydrological survey, the contractor received the “Notice to Proceed” on October 10, 2025, and work at the first site is expected to commence in December 2025.

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