Caribbean News
Protecting Barbados’ Water Supply
#Barbados, March 16, 2018 – The United Nations considers universal access to clean drinking water to be a basic human right. According to the World Health Organization, one-tenth of the global disease burden could be prevented by increasing access to safe drinking water; improving sanitation and hygiene; and improving water management to reduce the risks of water-borne diseases.
In Barbados, the Ministry of Health is one of the agencies charged with protecting the island’s water supply through a programme of systematic monitoring and surveillance.
According to environmental health specialist in the Ministry, Steve Daniel, the programme’s objective is to identify any potential hazards or risks in the drinking water supply within the distribution system; and in the event that hazards are identified, to promptly take the steps necessary to resolve the issues.
He assured: “Our methodologies allow us to quickly respond to put mitigation measures in place for the protection of public health. As it relates to drinking water, Barbadians can be assured that the Ministry of Health utilises all its resources and follows all internationally recognised standards and protocols for the monitoring of water.”
The water quality specialist defined good drinking water as water that was free of pathogenic or toxic materials. “Outside of that, there are also what we call organoleptic properties of water, which speak to the quality in terms of taste, colour and odour. Good drinking water is free of colour, taste and odour.”
Barbados’ water supply originates in underground aquifers that are accessed through the digging of deep wells, while a small percentage comes through the desalination process. It is pumped by the Barbados Water Authority to the reservoirs and from there, feeds into the distribution system.
Water wells are located only in Zone One protected areas, where development is restricted to minimise the potential contamination of the water supply aquifer from disposal waste.
The Environmental Health Department conducts routine sampling of potable water on a weekly basis within seven public health catchments, as well as the ports of entry. A minimum of 44 samples is delivered to the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory for analysis each week.
Mr. Daniel explained that the findings which would constitute a public health threat related to microorganisms that fall within the coliform group. “Within that group of microorganisms, I’m making reference to E-coli, total coliform and faecal coliform. In addition, toxic chemicals that can be in water are periodically tested for by the Environmental Protection Department, which collaborates with the Ministry of Health.”
In light of the challenges posed by the sewage spills on the south coast, the Ministry official said the Environmental Health Department was particularly focused on the area to make sure that public health was maintained.
“The methodology that is employed there is a risk assessment methodology, whereby the focus is on chlorine residual testing that is done on a weekly basis, in addition to taking the routine samples.”
He explained that the purpose of chlorine residual tests, which were carried out on site, was to determine the level of chlorine in the water. “The reason we do this is that chlorine has an inverse relationship with pathogenic microorganisms, so in other words, the presence of chlorine to satisfactory levels basically indicates to us that the risk of dangerous microorganisms is low.
“In the case where the officer suspects there may be a need for further investigation, the samples are taken, the appropriate chain of custody forms filled out, and the protocols in terms of delivering in ice and within the correct time periods are followed in terms of delivery to the laboratory for analysis.”
The water quality specialist also cautioned householders about the importance of making sure that their water filters and storage tanks were properly maintained, since failure to do this could also affect water quality.
“Water can start at the source and be safe as it relates to the chemicals that are added to protect it. And, it can continue to be safe throughout the distribution system. However, there are many environmental factors that can affect your quality when it is delivered at your tap.”
Mr. Daniel said that a household filter, which was not maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, could become a source of delivery for all the residue or contaminants that it was intended to remove. The same was true for water storage tanks, he submitted, and he advised that these containers should be routinely cleaned and sanitised.
“So, if you go on vacation, for instance, and you don’t use your water for a period of time, you must appreciate that the water in your tank will stagnate. When water stagnates, it basically allows for the build-up of some microorganisms, such as pseudomonas, or what we sometimes refer to as heterotrophic plate count microorganisms.”
The growth of these microorganisms, he disclosed, could significantly impact the quality of water received at the tap and would not necessarily be a reflection of what started out at the source.
Mr. Daniel, therefore, advised: “There is some responsibility on householders to understand how their water supply system works and to monitor it, so that they can put correct measures in place to ensure that they are receiving the safest possible supply of water.”
By: Joy Springer (GIS)
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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