Public Utilities Minister Melford Nicholas is encouraging residents to install household water storage tanks as the government continues efforts to modernize Antigua and Barbuda’s water system and move closer to a reliable 24-hour supply.
Speaking Tuesday night on Pointe FM’s Taking Stock programme, Nicholas said homeowners could protect themselves from temporary disruptions by storing at least three days’ worth of water on their properties.
“Every resident that lives in every village, every town, every hamlet in the country can inoculate themselves from the disruption to the supply of water,” Nicholas said, using the word “inoculate” to describe how households could shield themselves from interruptions while infrastructure upgrades continue.
The minister said many disruptions occur while APUA carries out major transmission and distribution improvements across the island, including the installation of new high-density polyethylene pipes designed to replace aging infrastructure prone to ruptures.
Nicholas said residents do not necessarily need expensive systems to improve reliability at home.
“One of these standard rubber tanks — perhaps maybe 600 gallons, some people can go up to 850 gallons — can store enough water that can cover you for a three-day period if there is any disruption in your area,” he said.
He explained that households could install simple plumbing arrangements that automatically refill tanks whenever APUA’s supply returns, allowing homes to draw from stored water during outages.
Nicholas said some residents have already adopted similar systems and no longer notice service interruptions.
He referenced one homeowner in his constituency who told him she “doesn’t know when the water is off” because her tank automatically refills and supplies her household continuously.
The minister acknowledged frustrations among residents who experience periodic disruptions, particularly on weekends, but said the government is working to stabilize the national network through expanded production, upgraded transmission lines and additional storage.
Nicholas said Antigua and Barbuda plans to add another 16 million gallons of storage capacity while continuing pipeline rehabilitation and the rollout of a modern SCADA monitoring system designed to improve control over water distribution.
He also warned that the transformation would take time because of financing, supply chain delays and the need for specialized equipment.
Still, he maintained that household storage remains one of the most practical short-term solutions for residents as the wider upgrades continue.