IWCAM project brings relief to Dennery residents

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 – The Integrated Watershed and Coastal Areas Management (IWCAM) water harvesting project, ongoing in the Dennery valley, is said to be successfully assisting in bringing some measure of relief to the community which has been struck by an acute water shortage.

The project is an initiative of the Global Environment Facility-GEF. Community liaison for the IWCAM project, Annanais Vernueil, says under this project Saint Lucia was given attention in three main areas: rainwater harvesting, the establishment of wetlands, and CES–the Compensation for Environmental Services project.

“We did an assessment of the water use in the different places by people who capture water. From there we decided to go through the demonstration designed to help people capture water from the roof because the roof is a catchment point that allows such water to be stored in a tank.”

Mr. Vernueil says water storage is then followed by a process of purification which is facilitated by WASCO. The rain water harvesting system is now assisting both health centres, the hospital and schools as well as homes in Dennery.

“We were able to install three 1000 gallon capacity tanks in each school; now the schools have this water as a standby system whilst some use fifty to sixty percent of the stored water for general use.”

The IWCAM started in 2005, and will end in June, 2010.

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