The Water Resources Authority (WRA) is the state entity responsible for the management, protection, and controlled allocation and use of our island’s water resources. Guided by the Water Resources Act of 1995, the WRA does hydrological calculations which help deduce the amount of water which is available underground and in the island’s surface water (rivers, streams and springs). These calculations help determine how water is distributed across the island. Their other services include:
- Allocating water resources through licensing of surface and underground water abstractions
- Licensing well drilling and altering of wells
- Assessing water resources for agricultural and housing developments.
- Selecting solid and hazardous waste disposal sites; cemetery sites and other waste disposal sites.
- Mapping groundwater pollution risk.
- Mapping flood plains.
- Forecasting hydrological activities; and
- Preparing water management plans to satisfy national development objectives.
The Micro-catchment Hydrological
and Erosion Model
Through the Hydro-meteorology study that will be commissioned under the Yallahs Hope Project, a Micro-catchment Hydrological and Erosion Model will be developed. The model will include data on the topography of the Yallahs River and Hope River WMUs, the locations of the rain station, reservoirs, intakes and land use.
The Model, will be a science-based tool to help the government make decisions towards sustainable planning and development by:
- Identifying key areas for intervention based on the water flow, intake and possibility of erosion.
- Identifying micro-catchment areas (which could inform the placement of housing and industry development); and
- Identifying priority locations for setting up monitoring stations.
In addition, members of the WRA and the Meteorological Service will be trained in hydrological and erosion modeling so as to ensure a sustainable platform for improvements and updates by respective government agencies in the future.
Guardians of our H2O
The Water Resources Authority
at Work