by Linda Straker
- Water Resources Management and Regulation Bill approved in Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday, 28 January
- New legislation moves management of water resources from Nawasa to Ministry of Public Utilities
- People without water flowing in their lands will have to obtain an abstraction licence for water
Farmers and other people who do not have water flowing in their lands will have to obtain an abstraction licence for water when the Water Resources Management and Regulation Bill, 2025 goes into effect. Failure to obtain such a licence results in a criminal charge which has a maximum penalty of EC$3,000 or 2 years imprisonment.
The bill was approved in the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday, 28 January 2025 and is set to be on the schedule for the next sitting of the Upper House. The new legislation removes the management of water resources from the National Water and Sewerage Authority (Nawasa) and establishes a water resource management unit in the Ministry of Public Utilities.
Explaining the clause of abstraction, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said no entity will be allowed to have an abstract licence forever, but it will be for a continued specific period. However, there are some exceptions with regard to abstraction of water for farmers. “The legislations make it clear that if that water is on the farmer’s land then the farmer can continue to abstract water, his family and his employees can continue to abstract water,” he told the House. “But that abstraction does not include blocking up the water in a such way that others cannot get it; that abstraction does not include polluting the water because it is an offence under the act.” Prime Minister Mitchell who is the Minister for Public Utilities.
The act states that “where someone is abstracting water at least 24 months before the coming into being of this new legislation that person or entity will have a right to apply within 6 months for a licence to abstract water.” Mitchell told the Lower House members that “the right to abstract do not extend to trespassing people’s property.”
The bill defines “abstract” as “the process by which water in its natural environment may be artificially removed through a manmade structure or through the process of changing the flow of the water from its usual course to another course.”
A person who wishes to abstract water shall apply to the minister for an abstraction licence on the prescribed form, with the prescribed application fee. Abstracting water without a licence is an offence and on summary conviction, an individual may be fined up to $3,000 or receive a maximum of 2 years’ imprisonment.
This is stupid when you state that these people can alter a water source. You need to not allow that to happen. It seems you have contradicted yourselves. Give Nawasa more workers or powers to continue their work. ONE entity in charge of water otherwise you have two departments working against each other and WHY another layer of burocracy??? More public workers.
This makes no sense. This law should be repealed. It will make more sense for NAWASA to be given the resources to better manage and distribute water. This will only lead to political favoritism.