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Joined: Oct 1999
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The island village of Caye Caulker is today getting a brand new water system. After decades of waiting, the new water system which comes complete with a reverse osmosis plant will be officially inaugurated during ceremonies this afternoon. According to chairman of the village council Alberto Villanueva, this crucial project comes at a time in the development of Caye Caulker village.

Alberto Villanueva; Village Council Chairman

"For us it's a big plus for the tourism sector of the island and the residents in terms of the area because 99 to 100% of the water system in Caye Caulker are contaminated. So this is a definite addition to the municipality of Caye Caulker. We have never had a functioning water system; the first time this was discussed was 1989 and actually came to fruition two years ago in 2008 so we've been hearing about this water system since 1989, about at least twenty years now."

According to Villanueva, the new Caye Caulker water system is a joint collaboration of the Government of Belize and Belize Water Services to the tune of three million dollars. Over two thousand residents and visitors to the island stand to benefit from this new water system, which according to Villanueva is capable of producing one hundred and fifty thousand gallons of potable water daily. Guest speaker at this afternoon's official inauguration ceremony will be the Minister of Tourism and area representative Manuel Heredia. Caye Caulker village is located about fifteen minutes by plane from Belize City. The village itself stretches for about a mile on the eastern side of the island. 

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BWS inaugurates water system in Caye Caulker




    On Thursday July 1st 2010, over 30 residents of Caye Caulker gathered at the Belize Water Service's plant compound to witness the inauguration of their very own Water System.

    Ceremonies commenced sharply at 1:30pm. Mr. Haydon brown, Public Relations Manager for Belize Water Service (BWS), was the master of ceremonies. The welcome address was given by Mr. Alberto Villanueva, Caye Caulker Village Council chairman. A Keynote address was given by Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. and closing remarks were given by Mr. Herman Longsworth, Chairman of BWS's Board of Directors. Also in attendance was Her Worship, Mayor Elsa Paz In a telephone interview with Village Council Chairman, Mr. Alberto Villanueva, he stated, "This is definitely a plus to the island in terms of our tourism products. The new water system means cleaner and safer water; a constant supply with adequate pressure for residents, tourists and visitors to the island. Previously the main source of water on the island were wells, however 99% of the wells are contaminated so this is definitely healthier."

    The Caye Caulker Water System became a reality through efforts of the BWS and funding from the Government of Belize (GOB). According to Mr. Haydon Brown, the entire village of Caye Caulker presently has access to the water system. "The water being pumped to the residents of Caye Caulker is healthy enough to drink", stated Mr. Brown as he re-iterated Mr. Villanueva's statement in regards to the importance of this new utility, "With this improved water quality and quantity it provides better health and environmental standards to the residents of the caye and it should attract more tourist in the future".

    He went on to inform that a survey conducted by BWS in May 2010 showed that of the approximately 400 households in Caye Caulker, there were 307 residential and 52 non residential households that were connected to the new water system. Caye Caulker's Water System has a capacity of 15,000 gallons per day, which is well above the demand for water in Caye Caulker. At a cost of 3.05 million Belize dollars, this sate of the art system is comprised of a water treatment plant as well as the actual system, 5.5 miles of main pipes.

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Water Treatment Plant in Caye Caulker Eases Financial Burden [Linked Image]

Since 1989, the residents of Caye Caulker have been begging for a water treatment plant in the village. In 1995, a proposal was made for a project but it never materialized. Finally in 2008, 19 years after the movement started, groundbreaking was done for the Caye Caulker Water Supply and Distribution System Project. According to Haydon Brown, Belize Water Services Human Resources and Public Relations Manager, the project is based "on the foresight of the Government of Belize seeing the need for

better water service in Caye Caulker".
Chief Executive Officer of the Belize Water Services Limited, Alvan Haynes, said that the project took two years to complete and cost $3.05 million. Of that amount, the BWS provided $1.30 million and the Government of Belize provided the additional $1.75 million through the United Kingdom's CDI funds. The first phase of the project was the construction of a reverse osmosis water treatment plant. The plant converts sea water to clean drinking water and is capable of treating 150,000 gallons of water daily. The plant has a tank that has a storage capacity of 150,000 gallons. The second phase of the project was the implementation of a distribution system. This included the laying of 5.5 miles of main pipe. So far there have been 307 residential connections and 62 non-residential connections.

At the inauguration of the plant and distribution system on Thursday, July 1, no one was happier than the Area Representative of Belize Rural South, Hon Manuel Herredia Jr. He said that though it is just one part of government's larger plan for the country, "This water treatment plant could not have come at a better time." Numerous studies have shown that the water retrieved from their rudimentary water system, hand dug wells and roof catchments are contaminated and unsafe to consume. Minister Herredia Jr. said that because of the contaminated water many residents of the village have opted to purchase purified water. Purified water is relatively expensive and those who cannot afford it are faced with serious health concerns.

The implementation of the new water treatment plant and distribution system relieves the dependence on purified water which could save a fortune over time. It also improves the quality and quantity of water available throughout the day and provides better health and environmental standards to the village. Hon. Manuel Herredia Jr. and the Caye Caulker Village Council expressed their gratitude on behalf of the residents of the village to the Belize Water Services Limited and the Government of Belize. They hope that the upgrade will be effective in attracting more tourists to the beautiful destination.

This government has been dedicated to expanding water services throughout the country. Groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday July 5 for the Belize River Valley Water System Project. This is also a part of government's millennium goal to have the entire country with access to clean potable drinking water by 2015.

The Guardian

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Any feedback on the new water system? I heard the bills were awfully high. We are debating digging a well and utilizing a water catchment system, but if it's easier and cheaper to put in town water we would probably consider that avenue. Anyone know how much to have the water piped in, what the procedure is and how much the monthly bills are?

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The cost is ridiculously high, unbelievable. You might want to use well water for flushing toilets and if you use the municipal water only in the shower/sinks to supplement a rain water cistern.

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We have all three here. Well water for toilets and watering plants, cistern water for showers and sinks, and are also connected to municipal water in the event that we have issues with not enough water, pump malfunction, etc. That seems to keep our bills lower. I agree, if you use municipal water for everything the cost will be extremely high.


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That's what I heard, very expensive. But wanted to get more feedback just to make sure. Is it possible for someone to give me an idea of what the bills are like? And does it cost a lot to have it installed even if you are only going to use it to supplement?

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We use city water exclusively at our home on Ambergris Caye. For us, the maths didn't work out when considering putting in a cistern. We use the city water for everything including to water our quarter acre yard. Our monthly bill averages 40-50BZD/month.


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That sounds ok collyk, but I heard on Caye Caulker it was quite high, much higher than that. But it could be the 'first' bill including installation...?

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Well, Colly is probably right, since it is a single family home. We, however have our home plus six guest rooms each with their own bathrooms, and two kitchens.....



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