St. Kitts and Nevis is facing growing pressure on its water supply as rainfall continues to decline due to climate change.

The Hon. Konris Maynard, Federal Minister of Water, reported that average annual rainfall has dropped by nearly 20 percent over the past decade, while becoming increasingly unpredictable. This shift is significantly affecting the country’s ability to replenish underground water sources:

Authorities warn that reliance on rainfall alone is no longer sustainable. As a result, the government is accelerating efforts to diversify water sources, including desalination and groundwater exploration.

According to the minister over 15 sites have been identified across St. Kitts that will be explored as potential sites for new wells. Other initiatives include constructing additional storage tanks, upgrading aging pipelines, and implementing automated monitoring systems to reduce reliance on manual operations. Also just recently, a desalination plant was commissioned producing up to 2 million gallons and a day and providing reliable water supply to 70% of the Kittitian population.