By Latonya Roberts Guardian Staff Reporter
Copyright thenassauguardian
The Water and Sewerage Corporation yesterday held a commissioning ceremony for a new water plant in Barraterre, Exuma.
The $9.1 million project began in August 2023, with plans to create a better water supply for Exuma residents by installing 32,650 feet of new PVC mains.
The project was completed in April 2024 with the transition from water trucking to a modernized pipe system.
Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said yesterday that the plant will provide residents with a basic life necessity.
“Our government is determined that no Bahamian should be told to wait for the basics of life,” he said at the commissioning ceremony.
“This water system is about fairness and dignity.
“Every family deserves reliable water. Without it, there is no healthcare, no schools, no farming, no tourism, no business.
“With it, communities thrive. That is why today matters.”
He continued, “Renewable energy projects are moving forward, so communities are more secure.
“Water systems are being modernized, so that no settlement is left behind. This is what progress looks like. Real, practical change.
“Exuma has always been central to our national story. Its culture, its people, and its economy are vital to The Bahamas … Exuma, like every island, needs strong foundations.
“Reliable water gives families security. It allows businesses to expand. It supports farming and tourism. And it gives young people confidence that they can build their future here at home.”
Rowdy Boyz Construction partnered with the Water and Sewerage Corporation to carry out the eight-month project.
Deputy Prime Minister and Exumas and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper said, “For me, this is personal.
“I can remember not so fondly as a young boy growing up in little Exuma, we had no running water.
“Not that the water went off sometimes, not that the pressure was low, not that it came, and it went, we had none.
“So today, this is a great moment, a celebration. If you wanted [it], you carried it, you fetched it, you learn to make do and learned early how hard life can be when something so basic is missing.”
