NIA CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS (May 28, 2026)- The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Water Services will soon be commissioning a new 500,000-gallon water storage tank constructed in the Stoney Hill area as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the island’s potable water supply system for residents.

Minister of Works and Water Services, the Honourable Spencer Brand, recently led a delegation of officials, including Deputy Premier the Honourable Eric Evelyn, on a visit to the construction site, where he expressed satisfaction with the pace of the work.

“This is a significant investment by the Nevis Island Administration in our water infrastructure on the island of Nevis to well over a million dollars. This 500,000-gallon glass fused storage tank will make sure that we have significantly more redundancy in our water storage capacity that will ensure we can provide additional water for the people of Nevis.

“I am extremely delighted to see the progress thus far in the erection of the tank. It is replacing a 270,000-gallon old fiberglass tank here in this area,” he said.

Roger Hanley, Operations Manager at the Nevis Water Department, explained that the tank will provide water to several surrounding communities and, if necessary, extend supply as far as Charlestown.

“Water is pumped from wells in Gingerland in the Padlock region and also in Fothergills Estate. The water is pumped to a holding tank in Fothergills and then up to Stoney Hill. The water stored at Stoney Hill serves areas such as Hanley’s Road, Morning Star, Pondhill, Beach Road, even all the way down to Charlestown, if necessary.”

Mr. Hanley revealed that funding for the project came directly from revenue generated by the Water Department. He underscored the importance of customers paying their water bills to ensure the department can continue providing the essential resource.

Ronell Webbe, contractor and principal of Precision Construction, outlined the scope of the project, noting that the tank is being constructed at ground level, beginning with the roof, and elevated incrementally using hydraulic beams.

“A tank of this size usually takes about 6 to 7 weeks from start to finish. Most of the time goes into the foundation and roof, after that assembling the side panelling is very straightforward. This will be a very tall tank when completed. Once it’s completed, we’ll fill the tank half way, sanitize it, and dump the water and then refill it with potable water for consumption,” he explained.

Hon. Evelyn, Member of Parliament for St. George Parish, commended the local contractor for securing the project and mobilizing quickly to begin erecting the structure.

“I want to give a special commendation to the contractor Ronell. He is a local from Hanley’s Road, right here in Gingerland, and he has become an expert in erecting these water systems not just across Nevis, he also constructed the large desalination plant recently commissioned on St. Kitts, and he has worked further afield including Statia, St. Maarten and his company did a very large project in the Bahamas as well. He has been doing some extraordinary work so I must give kudos and high commendations to him.”

The Deputy Premier also noted that Gingerland is becoming a hub for water infrastructure development on Nevis. He praised the work of the NIA Cabinet, along with Hon. Brand and his team at Water Services, for their efforts to ensure water security on the island amid the challenge of reduced rainfall, stating, “I’m very confident that the little island of Nevis is leading in the entire region when it comes to water infrastructure, distribution and availability.”

Also joining the ministers on the site visit were Denzil Stanley, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Water Services; Floyd Robinson, Manager of the Water Resources Management Unit; and Donnel Sargeant, Water Engineer.