18 September 2026 - CASTRIES, SAINT LUCIA: The Government of Saint Lucia and the Water and Sewerage Company Inc. (WASCO), together with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB / the Bank), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Government of Italy, have officially launched Ninth Water (John Compton Dam Raw Water Pipeline Replacement) Project (NWP). 

This initiative, financed through a US$22.83 million partnership package, serves as a transformative initiative to improve the reliability of WASCO’s water supply by reducing the risk of disruptions due to leakages and pipeline failure. Upon completion of the project, it is envisioned that potable water supply will improve, accompanied by reduced water outages. 

The NWP will replace and upgrade five kilometres of aging pipeline between the Millet and Vanard pumping stations. Service delivery to over 58% of WASCO’s customer accounts is expected to be improved, impacting homes and economic activity including the tourism sector. Ultimately, more than 56,000 residential and commercial customers are expected to benefit from improvements delivered through the project.

“This project is an important investment for CDB. It will advance Saint Lucia’s water security and resilience by modernising critical infrastructure to better protect communities and economic activity from future climate risks, while helping to secure resilient and sustainable water services for generations to come,” said Mr. Cavon White, Portfolio Manager, Economic Infrastructure Division, CDB.

“Let me put this project in clear terms. It is about people. It means fewer dry mornings in Castries and fewer nights for families in the north not knowing if their taps will run in the morning,” said the Honourable Keithson Charles, Minister of Physical Development and Public Utilities, Saint Lucia. 

“Infrastructural projects like this one are not abstract engineering exercises, as much as they are real demonstrations of care for our people,” said the Honourable Dr. Shanda Lee Harracksingh, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and representative of the Honourable Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Constituency Development, People Empowerment, Justice and National Security.

“Projects of this scale are not undertaken simply to solve the problem in front of us. They are investments in the Saint Lucia we expect to become, in the communities that will grow, the businesses that will be established and the generations that will depend on it long after those of us gathered here have moved on,” said Mrs. Zilta George, Chief Executive Officer, WASCO.

The investment will improve transmission reliability, cut service interruptions and water losses, boost WASCO’s operational efficiency, and strengthen network management through bulk meters and a modern Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for real-time monitoring.

The NWP reflects the value of collaboration and builds on CDB’s decades-long partnership with Saint Lucia’s water sector by combining financing, technical expertise and implementation support.  It also advances Saint Lucia’s goals for climate adaptation, sustainable development and long-term water security, marking an important step towards a more resilient, modern water system, and a safer, more reliable supply for the people and communities who depend on it every day. 

The project’s financing package comprises US$10.69 million from CDB’s Ordinary Capital Resources, US$5 million from AFD through CDB’s Second Credit Facility, US$5 million from CDB’s Special Development Fund (SDF 10), and EUR2.01 million (approximately US$2.14 million) from the Government of Italy. The Government of Saint Lucia and WASCO are providing the remaining US$7.16 million in counterpart funding.

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