Flowing Towards Sustainability: A Journey of Water Conservation

I have always felt a deep connection with water from my childhood. I would often help my grandparents clean a water intake which served our rural community during the 1980’s to 1990’s.

My grandfather would routinely remove debris from the water’s surface and unclog the outlet as part of maintenance for ensuring an unrestricted flow of surface water, which would later be treated and stored by the water utility. This impressed upon me the value of environmental protection and conservation for supporting vibrant ecosystems and keeping good surface water quality.

Many years later, I undertook university studies in Microbiology and Water Resources Management; with my postgraduate research in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene within the west coast village of Anse la Raye. During my first year at the Water Resources Management Agency (WRMA) I coordinated the consultancy to develop a Draft National Wastewater Policy and Strategic Plan. My stint as the Field Scientist made me aware of the many threats of point and non-point sources of pollution to water bodies island-wide. Therefore, in my current capacity as the Water Resource Specialist, I am delighted to serve as the National Focal Point for the GEF-CReW+ project, as my previous experiences have given me a bird’s-eye view of the wastewater sector.

The GEF-CReW+ project focuses on wastewater within the circular economy and highlights practical solutions to improve the water, sanitation and wastewater management conditions in coastal communities. The introduction of water saving devices within public facilities, as well as targeted interventions for wastewater will promote aspects of the circular economy within the beneficiary community.

A major challenge was my late designation as project focal point and my responsibility to define the project scope within a set time frame. It was necessary that buy-in from targeted stakeholders was finalized before moving forward. Also, the threat of COVID-19 always loomed over these initial activities. In the end, we were able to navigate successfully with the support of partner agencies and the consultant in the development and approval of the project documents.

I am extremely excited to see implementation progress on the ground. Looking towards the future, the key is to draw from the lessons learnt and use that knowledge for project replication across other communities. The low-tech aspect of the main project components means that sustainability should not be cost prohibitive.

In the end, my hope is that wastewater will be fully embraced as a resource, which can be safely treated and reused for practical purposes.  As we continue this transformative journey, we endeavor to adopt a sustainable approach to the comprehensive management of water and wastewater.

Author: Miguel Montoute. Water Resource Specialist. Water Resources Management Agency (WRMA) Saint Lucia.