fp Turks and Caicos

With a 10-percent water tax looming over businesses and large users, signaling higher water bills for some, Provo Water Company is working to get tough on water loss.

“The two major challenges we face are water loss and bad debt,” Robert Hall, managing director of Provo Water Company, told members of the Turks and Caicos Environmental Club last week. Hall said that since 2008, bad debts have gone up “tremendously.”

Although many believe selling more water is good for business, the company does not benefit when individuals cannot afford to pay their bills. “When you have a leak, I have a leak,” he said.

To help curb potential water loss, Hall says the company is in the process of acquiring sophisticated monitoring equipment which can detect possible leaks.

Worldwide more than 15 trillion gallons of water are lost by water companies each year through leaks. Although the number for the Provo Water Company is not that significant, thanks to more modern infrastructure, Hall says any loss of the valuable resource is important to the company.

Halls says the company plans to use technology to monitor the flow of water across the island. This will allow them to detect if and when a certain area sees an unexpected increase in water flow.

They are hoping to have a similar system available to resident customers to let them know when a leak is happening at their own homes as well. With water at 4.1 cents per gallon, a simple leaky toilet can cost a local resident hundreds of dollars per month.

Another costly problem to the company is water theft. According to Hall, theft and unauthorized use happens more frequently than one might expect on the island. The company currently employs a specific team to scour the island inspecting and ensuring water taps are legal. He says each and every day they find new cases of illegal taps.

The TC Environmental Club invited Hall to speak at its May monthly meeting to discuss the important resource of water here in the TCI. With limited fresh water sources on the islands, the distribution of water is a vital part of the local community.

The talk coincided with the company’s recognition of Drinking Water Week. The American Water Works Association promotes a week of honouring water the first week in May each year.

“We wanted to focus or zoom in on how essential water is to our lives,” Hall explained as the reason the Providenciales company participated in the week-long celebration.

Fresh water is the second most urgent need humans have after air, making it one of the most important resources necessary to build a thriving community. With limited rainfall and an ever decreasing supply of fresh ground water, the Provo Water company provides the largest source of fresh water on the island of Providenciales.

The Provo Water Company is the distribution company for the water created by the Turks and Caicos Water Company, a joint venture with the government. The government own a 46-percent stake in the company which uses reverse osmosis to turn the abundant source of salt water into clean drinking water for island residents and guests.

The Provo Water Company also employes a team of specialists that test the water at the point of processing to ensure it supersedes the standards set by the World Health Organization. It also has 30 sites across the island which are spot tested every day to see that the water is still of the highest standards after it has flowed through the pipes to businesses and residents.

“We spend a lot of time and money to ensure the quality is consistent to your home,” Hall explained.

Representatives from the Provo Water Company engaged residents and visitors with a booth outside the IGA Graceway supermarket on Leeward Highway. They also made presentations to schools and held a community cleanup in Juba Sound.

Simple water saving tips

Bathroom basics

• Ensure your toilet is not leaking. Provo Water Company can provide tablets that allow you to test if your toilet has a leak.
• Shut off the water while brushing your teeth.
• Turn the water off while soaping up in the shower.

Wash with care

• Adjust your washer water size to the right size of your loads.
• Turn off the extra rinse cycle if available on your washing machine.
• Don’t run the dishwasher until it is full.