St. Maarten Private Eye

From SXM News Network.

Philipsburg:--- Residents of St. Maarten may have to brace themselves for longer periods of water shortage as one of GEBE water supplier has notified the company that they would no longer be able to supply them with water as of yesterday.

SMN News have been reliably informed that Aqua Design who have been supplying 1000 cubic meters of water a day to GEBE since 2005 still does not have a contract with the main water utility company.

The source said that Aqua Design has an agreement to pick up a check on a daily basis for the amount of water sold to GEBE daily. Secondly, Aqua Design sells it water to GEBE for less than $3.00 per cubic meter, while GEBE is paying the French side company Union Caraibes de Desallement d’ Eau de Mer (UCDEM) some 6 euros per cubic meter. Already GEBE paid over one million euros to the French side company for water used this year, which is for a ten month period.

According to the information reaching SMN News is that Aqua Design either wants to increase its price and to secure a definite contract with GEBE because the company is not able to secure loans to invest in its company. The well place source said that residents of St. Maarten would have to prepare for heavier water shortage if the GEBE cannot strike a deal with Aqua Design, that deal would be that GEBE would have to give the water supplier a contract as well as more money since they are able to pay the UCDEM 6 euros per cubic meter of water.

While GEBE is busy installing the necessary pipes in Cupe-Coy area for Airfin the company that was awarded the Government contract for water production, workers of GEBE made an amazing discovery of a water plant that is producing 500 cubic meter of water per day and is pumping it to La Samana Hotel. La Samana owners Orient Express is busy with construction of another sister company called Cupe Coy Village. So far no one knows who the owner of the smaller water plant is while management of GEBE is still at loss that water is produced on the Dutch side and pumped to the French side while the Dutch side has to buy water from the French side for more than double the price they are paying Aqua Design.

What is not clear is if French authorities are aware of the smaller plant located on the Dutch side and sending its water to the French side. Another question that raises eyebrows if the water that is pumped to La Samana meets the necessary requirements as it pertains to French laws. SMN News also understands that Airfin will be taking over this small water plant whenever they commence operation.

SMN News tried contacting the Managing Director of GEBE William Brooks for a comment but he could not be reached up to press time.

Roy ´Pinochio´ Marlin´s statement that the cost of purchasing water from the French side will not be passed on to consumers is yet another lie. GEBE will be paying the cost and as a public company it means that at the end of the day, money is being paid from public funds. According to inside sources, water purchases from the French side have cost GEBE almost $1 million this year.

We went through the hurricane season with this situation, in effect putting the population of the island at very serious risk. As we all know, the intakes of the water plant nearly always need to be shut down due to water disturbance and silting. Imagine if we had had a major storm, the massive clearing of Indigo Bay would have caused immense amounts of silt pollution into the sea which would have spread down the coast to Cay Bay.

Water woes to lessen today with French side assistance - 29th November 2007

As for the shortage in reserve capacity, SXM PE revealed this situation back in May and it is only now that the DH mentions it. Shortsighted is the best they can come up with to describe this situation? Pathetic.

Daily Herald Editorial - Short sighted - 29th November 2007

I think the entire Executive Council is to blame for our water issues. afterall, the entire EXCO signed and endorsed the new water contract with AIR FIN. Blame should also be caste on the board of directors, their role is to supervise the company GEBE. When I pay for water, my check is made out to GEBE not Enerserve or AIR FIN. I undertsand that GEBE distributes the water.
What if the outgoing company decide to slow down even more and start maintianing their equipment, then we have a serious problem. According to reports, there's not enough in reserve to carry the island for 3 days.

Where's the water tank, which is suppose to be built in the MAdame Estate area?
Why is GEBE not making water themselves. They could do it. With the new technical equipment available in reverseosmosis, I'm sure GEBE could handle the job. THe workers of GEBE are the ones who are working in the current plant operated by Enerserve anyway.
Mr bardensen is a genuis: He made enerserve, sold it and then a couple years after he came back with a new company called AIR FIN. The government got out of the contract with enerserev and hire Mr Bardenson again with a spanking new water company AIRFIN.
I wish him the best and hope he can provide quality water on a consistant basis.