The Water and Sewerage Company Inc. WASCO has announced the commencement of dredging works on the John Compton Dam in central Saint Lucia.
The reservoir which supplies water to 93,000 consumers in the north of the island and parts of Anse La Raye, has been significantly impacted by silt deposits from a number of major rain events over several years since its construction in 1995.
Funded by the Caribbean Development bank, the desilting project is the second part of the John Compton Dam rehabilitation project or JCD 02.
The first part of the project included the construction of the sediment disposal area or JCD 01 which was recently completed.
Furthermore, it is located in an area downstream of the reservoir and has the capacity to hold one hundred and five cubic meters of silt from the John Compton Dam.
This second phase of the project was awarded to Vinci Construction Maritime et Fruvial via international competitive bidding in July 2018 and was followed by a “no objection” from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and dredging started in early October 2020.
The dredging of the John Compton Dam which provides water security to the northern districts will improve the Dam’s capacity and assist in maintaining a consistent supply of water to areas that contribute significantly to the national economy.