People's Leadership Movement leader Mark Vanterpool has pledged to establish a desalination plant in Sea Cows Bay within three months of his party winning the next election, moving away from the territory's reliance on the Paraquita Bay facility.
Speaking on the Talking Points programme, Vanterpool outlined his plan to address persistent water shortages in the Third District. "A PLM government, three months after it's elected, will get water into Sea Cows Bay through a plant, a new plant in Sea Cows Bay, and not depend on the plant in Paraquita Bay," he said.
The former communications and works minister acknowledged that water delivery to the area has posed difficulties across multiple administrations. During his time in government, he explained, engineers attempted to pump water up mountainous terrain and distribute it across the islands through the BiWater contract arrangement. This approach proved problematic, particularly for reaching Sea Cows Bay.
Vanterpool said his administration had explored installing booster pumps along the route but now favours a different strategy. He advocates for smaller desalination units tailored to individual districts, including portable container-sized models that could be deployed rapidly.
"We need to get back to what I call district-area type of water desal plants," he said.
Third District residents have repeatedly voiced frustration over extended periods without running water. Vanterpool also signalled that a PLM government would revisit the current water supply contract, noting a financial imbalance between what the territory spends annually and the revenue it collects from customers.
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