Mr. Morris, on May 23, was overjoyed that the efforts of the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute [CEHI], the Global Environment Facility – Integrating Watershed and Coastal Area Management [GEF-IWCAM] Project and the Nevis Island Administration [NIA] had led to the donation of a pickup truck and lab equipment to the NWD.

The donation was made during a recent ceremony at the Water Department Depot at Stoney Grove and was attended by CEHI representative Mr. Vincent Sweeney, Junior Minister with responsibility for Works and Public Utilities the Honourable Carlisle Powell, Permanent Secretary Mr. Ernie Stapleton and the NWD’s staff.

During his remarks, Mr. Morris expressed gratitude to the “umbrella organisations”: CEHI, United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP], United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] and the Caribbean Environment Programme for their instrumentality in the donation.

The equipment and vehicle, according to Manager Morris, “would help the staff [members] at the NWD perform their duties, make the water safer in Nevis and [would put] Mr. Wiltshire, the lab assistant, in a better position to produce results at the end of the month.”

(l-r) Manager of the Nevis Water Department Mr. George Morris accepts keys from Junior Minister of Communications, Works, Public Utilities, Posts, Natural Resources and the Environment the Honourable Carlisle Powell.

“We are very grateful that Mr. Sweeney, through GEF and UNDP, can come forward in giving us that help [that] we so desire,” Mr. Morris said as he accepted, from Minister Powell, the keys to the new vehicle.

In first handing over the vehicle and equipment to Minister Powell, Mr. Sweeney said he was pleased that CEHI was able to assist the NWD, adding that Nevis had done a commendable job in its water development initiatives.

“Minister Powell, it gives us great pleasure to be able to continue the support of the Nevis Water Department and the Nevis Island Administration. We know that the good work that has been done in Nevis and particularly by the Water Department would continue and we hope that this token, [although] limited support to the overall work that you are doing, would contribute to the improvement in the lives of the people in Nevis,” Mr. Sweeney said.

Minister Powell, in his response, said that “the regional and international organisations who have contributed, did so because they have confidence in the Nevis Water Department.”
This confidence, he highlighted, resulted from the major upgrade work that the NIA and NWD had executed throughout Nevis.
Like Manager Morris, the Water Minister recorded his appreciation to the sponsoring organisations and extended a special thank you to the staff at the NWD.
“I just want to say to Morris and every single member of the Water Department including those members who are retired, that we the people of Nevis owe you a very deep debt of gratitude and we are going to add to that Mr. Sweeney and all of the organisations who you represent because we are very grateful,” Mr. Powell said as he encouraged employees to “use the vehicle and equipment wisely.”

Lab Technician at the Nevis Water Department Mr. Llewellyn Wiltshire surrounded by recently donated lab equipment.

The pickup truck is valued at approximately EC$65,000 while the total lab equipment cost was EC$189,000.