Nicholas says Antigua and Barbuda ranks among CARICOM’s top countries for water production and distribution. However, the country still faces drought and aging infrastructure challenges.

Public Utilities Minister Melford Nicholas made the remarks Tuesday night on Pointe FM’s Taking Stock programme.

During the discussion, Nicholas said regional agencies have recognized Antigua’s progress in water management. He also highlighted improvements in desalination and system reliability.

“Antigua ranks with Barbados and Belize as the three best in class in terms of the entire CARICOM region,” Nicholas said.

At the same time, he stressed that water shortages affect many Caribbean countries. In fact, he said even nations with major freshwater resources face serious problems.

Nicholas pointed to Guyana and Jamaica as examples. According to him, both countries continue to battle water treatment and distribution issues.

“Jamaica has a very high water loss rate, probably the highest in CARICOM,” Nicholas said.

He added that only about 70 percent of Jamaica’s residential population has access to potable water.

Meanwhile, Nicholas said Antigua strengthened its water system through major investments. These include reverse osmosis plants, groundwater harvesting, and transmission upgrades.

He explained that daily water production now exceeds 11 million gallons. Facilities at Barnacle Point, Fryes, and Crabs support that output.

In addition, Nicholas referred to recent meetings in Barbados with the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.

According to the minister, regional agencies acknowledged Antigua’s progress despite several ongoing challenges.

Those challenges include old cast-iron pipelines, water losses, and rising demand from tourism and housing projects.

Nevertheless, Nicholas said the government continues improving the network. Current work focuses on separating high-pressure transmission systems from lower-pressure distribution lines.

The government also plans to upgrade storage capacity and modernize controls through a SCADA monitoring system.

Furthermore, Nicholas said Antigua is not facing these issues alone. Barbados and St. Lucia also continue battling drought conditions and aging infrastructure.

Still, the minister maintained that Antigua remains ahead of many regional countries because of strong investments in desalination and network upgrades.