WATER CONTINUES to be one of the most important resources of any country. As such, all must be done to ensure that it is easily accessible. The very health of a country, and one as small as ours, depends on its availability.
With water woes plaguing many Barbadian communities over the past few months, particularly in rural parishes like St John, St Joseph, St Andrew, St Peter and St Thomas, news of plans to deal with this acute and nagging problem must have been music to the ears of those who are suffering.
Earlier this week, Minister of Agriculture and Water Resource Management Dr David Estwick promised there would be a solution soon, and we hope sincerely that this is not just an empty promise. Residents need to feel assured that this matter is receiving the most urgent attention. They will want answers and solutions.
More importantly, those who wake up each morning to face the critical water shortages will be anxious to know when they will no longer have to suffer this fate.
Dr Estwick announced there will be a fast-track response system within days. Community storage tanks will be placed in critically affected locations and be filled and refilled by the water tankers. There are also plans  to acquire four more tankers.
Residents will welcome this since it takes away from them having to rush outside with buckets in hand, provided they are home, to meet the tankers under the current system.
Dr Estwick also announced that Barbados would have a desalination plant in about three years as the final solution to the water woes.
This is not the first time Barbadians have heard of plans for a desalination plant and it cements the point that what is needed now is not a knee-jerk reaction to issues that arise. Instead, we need to be proactive and have a clear and well-thought-out plan to solve this country’s water problems.
It must be clearly articulated how quickly these measures will indeed bring relief.
The reality is that taps are running dry and people are running out of patience; understandably so. It will not be enough to simply have stopgap measures in place. Long-term plans must be instituted.
Recognising that not all residents would be in a position to outfit their homes with water tanks, given cost constraints, Government needs to see this as a national issue which must be dealt with urgently. It is time that all is done to ensure the water flows freely for all.