Public Utilities Minister Melford Nicholas says the government is investing in new storage systems, upgraded infrastructure and advanced monitoring technology as it works toward a reliable 24-hour water supply across Antigua and Barbuda.

Speaking Tuesday night on Pointe FM’s Taking Stock programme, Nicholas outlined a series of projects aimed at improving production, storage and distribution within the national water network.

He said one of the key initiatives is the installation of a modern supervisory control and data acquisition system, commonly known as SCADA, which will allow APUA to monitor and manage the water network more efficiently.

“A contract for approximately $2 million was awarded to a company out of Trinidad that does a lot of these SCADA systems for the oil and gas industry,” Nicholas said.

The minister explained that the system will improve monitoring, control efficiency and overall management of water transmission and distribution.

“This will improve monitoring, control efficiency, and system management, helping to ensure that the water produced is delivered more reliably to households, businesses and communities across the country,” he said.

Nicholas also said the government plans to add another 16 million gallons of storage capacity to strengthen the system’s reliability and help balance peak daily demand.

He noted that Antigua and Barbuda is also repairing the leaking spillway at Potworks Dam and expanding groundwater harvesting alongside reverse osmosis production.

“These measures represent the next practical stage in addressing the water problem at its roots,” Nicholas said.

The minister said the overall strategy is intended to strengthen production, improve storage, modernize control systems and reinforce the distribution network.

He acknowledged that the transition toward a fully reliable system will take time, but said the investments now underway are critical to achieving the goal of dependable 24-hour water access nationwide.