TCI News
New motor arrives in Grand Turk today to fix water woes; Minister exposes $6 million in unpaid water bills
#Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands – Thursday June 28, 2018 – Unpaid water bills in Grand Turk have hit a staggering $6 million, and though having even half of those monies paid would be more than enough to completely overhaul the water system in the Capital, the Minister of Infrastructure Goldray Ewing says the Administration is not holding it against residents.
The Minister returned a call to Magnetic Media overnight, explaining extensively the long standing problems in Grand Turk and remedies upon which he is working; but more significantly, Minister Ewing confirmed that the repair needed to get the water pump working now will be done today thanks to the swift purchase of a brand new motor. The motor was shipped into Turks and Caicos from Ohio.
“The replacement motor arrives on the Lew Tide tomorrow in Grand Turk; from there it is just a matter of installing it. The broken one will be taken to Provo Water Company, which has the expertise on the ground to fix it.”
Minister Ewing, who has a background in engineering said he personally inspected the site and it was evident that the motor which eventually seized up, was over worked.
“When I put my hand on it, it was hot. The bearings in the motor were gone and as with anything that is running non-stop, it burned out and stop running altogether.”
There was a scramble to get the funds together as the country is in a fiscal transition which means monies are not so readily available; the $9,000 was identified said Minister Ewing and paid as down payment on the 800lbs motor, which has a total cost of $15,000. 
Currently, residents of Grand Turk are forced to ration water because the demand far outweighs the supply. Magnetic Media was contacted on Wednesday by residents who called it a crisis situation.
Minister Ewing said the issue of a water shortage in Grand Turk is not new, but that he is working assiduously to lay a proper foundation for radical reform.
Already in motion, a Cabinet approved amendment to the Water and Sewage Ordinance which will allow the Water Undertaking Department to continue with monthly billing for water usage, but now also be legally allowed to cut off supply to those who are not paying their bill.
And that is pretty much everyone explained Hon. Goldray Ewing.
Her Majesty’s Prison is the largest consumer of city water; but the Prison does not pay its bill despite being given the money from the public purse to do so.
The second largest consumer of water is Carnival Cruise Line with an annual bill of around $400,000. Carnival is among the only entities which honors its commitment and pays its water bill.
Government Offices are third in the line for consumption and are guilty of leaving water bills unpaid, despite the monies being allocated for there to be payment. Even the Governor’s Office does not pay its water bill.
“I have had all kinds of people calling me too about the water. I explained to them what was happening and when I ask if they are paying their bill; they hung up on me.”
The Minister said Government should be paying its water bill, that Government offices should set a better example.
Grand Turk is also facing a serious problem with seepage. Water loss for the Capital of the country is at a critical level, with all of the government tanks being in dire need of repair and further to that, residences and businesses are also with a multitude of leaks. The leaks and sizable water loss, shared Minister Ewing are not being fixed because no one is paying for the water.
“If people knew they had to pay for the water they were using or the water that was wasting due to leaks, they would get the leaks fixed.”
The pumps at the Government’s Reverse Osmosis Water Plant in Grand Turk, when at optimum are churning out between 500,000 to 750,000 gallons per day.
“This was still not enough; that may however be due to the number of leaks”, said the Minister.
Magnetic Media was told that all six of the large government-owned water storage tanks are losing water; the tanks are located at the hospital, two tanks are on the ridge near the Community College, there is one each at the South Base, North Well and north of HJ Robinson High school.
“Even the smaller tanks in areas like West Road and Backsalina are leaky.’
Minister Goldray Ewing believes it would take $2.5 million to bring the modernisations and change to the Reverse Osmosis Plant required. The Minister also believes the water plant should be privitised; allowing islanders to own 49% of a new entity which would function more like a business and not like a public service.
“I believe it is a good business opportunity and it has the potential to earn as much as $7 million per year. In the interim, I think we need to get a private company to control billing and eventually create a Statutory Body for Electricity, Sewage, Telecommunications and Water so that there would be better administration.”
This fiscal year, the plan is to conduct major repairs on the system which is over 100 years old. That is projected to cost $1 million. Eventually, there needs to be the addition of another ‘skit’ which will churn out an extra 300,000 gallons of water per day; this would take the units working at the site to three and would cost around $800,000 to purchase.
As for the critical water shortage now, the new motor which arrives in Grand Turk today, will pump 500,000 gallons per day and that will complement the current pump which is producing 250,000 gallons per day.
Turks and Caicos, September 6, 2025 – The Office of the Deputy Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Tamica Prospere as the Director of the Department of Learning and Development within the Office of the Deputy Governor.
Mrs. Prospere holds a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Associate Diploma in Organisational Learning and Development (RQF Level 5), a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of the West Indies (UWI) and an Associate Degree in Education, also from UWI. She has further enhanced her credentials with certifications and coursework in content delivery, human resource management, talent management, and training and development from esteemed institutions, including Mico University College and CIPD.
With a strong foundation in public service and education in St. Lucia, Mrs. Prospere dedicated over a decade to classroom teaching at the secondary school level, beginning in 2002. During her tenure, she educated a diverse student body across various subjects, including Mathematics, Information Technology, and Life Skills, all aimed at fostering students’ personal and social well-being. She also facilitated community adult learning programs, showcasing her enduring commitment to promoting inclusive and varied educational opportunities.
Her career in public service in the Turks and Caicos Islands began in 2014 as a teacher at Marjorie Basden High School. From 2019, she served as the Learning and Development Manager for the legacy Customs Department and later for the TCI Border Force. In this role, she made significant contributions to improvements and championed a culture of professional growth.
Mrs. Prospere has been a strong advocate for leadership development through several key programmes. She conceptualised and introduced
the Leading Effectively through Accountability and Development (LEAD) programme for the management team, which has successfully run for three consecutive years, with its most recent leadership reinforcement event held in 2025. Additionally, she implemented several programmes in partnership with educational institutions, resulting in 27 Border Force officers earning continuing professional development (CPD) certifications in supervisory management from UWI and 10 managers completing the Dynamic Leadership course with the Caribbean Maritime University.
She played a pivotal role in developing operational strategic plans and frameworks for both the Customs Department and the TCI Border Force. Mrs. Prospere spearheaded the creation and delivery of professional programmes, such as the Customs Broker Certification Programme. She introduced a Learning Management System (LMS) to facilitate scalable learning for aspiring Customs Brokers.
Moreover, she led the implementation of several significant projects, most notably the Regional Clearance System in the TCI and a comprehensive revamp of customs procedures at Howard Hamilton International Airport, which greatly enhanced operational efficiency. She also facilitated key engagements that strengthened partnerships with leading regional bodies, including the Caribbean Customs Legislation and Enforcement Council (CCLEC), the border security team within CARICOM IMPACS, and the customs advisory arm of CARTAC. These collaborations were instrumental in securing vital technical assistance for training.
Speaking on the appointment, Mrs. Prospere said, “I am honoured to step into this role and lead the Learning and Development Directorate. I believe that a world-class public service is built together. I’m dedicated to partnering with civil servants at all levels to foster a dynamic learning environment where we can collectively develop the skills needed to be adaptable, exceed standards, and deliver truly exceptional service to the public.”
In congratulating Mrs. Prospere, Deputy Governor and Head of the Public Service, H.E. Anya Williams stated, “We are pleased to extend congratulations to Mrs. Tamica Prospere on her appointment as the new Director of the Department of Learning and Development within the Office of the Deputy Governor.
With over a decade of dedicated service in the field of training and development, Mrs. Prospere has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to building capacity and strengthening the public service workforce in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Her innovative and strategic approach to learning has transformed teams and empowered individuals, ensuring the public service is well-equipped to meet the demands of a constantly evolving landscape.
As the government continues its efforts to enhance service delivery through robust and comprehensive training initiatives, we are confident that Mrs. Prospere’s leadership will be instrumental in advancing a culture of excellence, collaboration and continuous growth across the public sector.
Congratulations Mrs. Prospere, on your well-deserved promotion. We look forward to working with you to shape the future of learning and development in the Public Service in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
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