Every sixty seconds 115 gallons of water is used at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

An estimated $40,000 a year is spent on supplying water to the prison facilities in St George’s.

That’s just two figues released by Public Works Minister Craig Cannonier on Bermuda’s astronomical consumption of water.

At a news conference yesterday, the Minister announced plans for a sustainable water supply system for St George’s that will start with a $225,000 study to tackle the issue.

The Bermuda Government has partnered with Associated Engineering (International) Ltd to produce sustainable water and waste water solutions for the old town by March 2017.

A series of consultative meetings will be held with a wide range of stakeholders will be held in the interim, in addition to public meetings.

The in-depth study “will define existing constraints and capacities, consider and evaluate alternatives and identify preferred water and wastewater servicing options”.

Ultimately, this study will review the old town’s current water supply and sewage systems “to offer options for management of service delivery; identify the infrastructure investment required to deliver a sustainable service for 25 years and complete a financial analysis of the current and proposed service delivery systems”.

“Our long-term aim is the provision of a robust and reliable water and wastewater service to all islanders and visitors, in a way that will allow Bermuda to be recognised as a leader in sustainability,” said Mr Cannonier.

“In short, St. George’s Parish requires a strategy for its water and wastewater management and servicing as the current practices are not sustainable.

With a new hotel set to come on line at the east end he said: “The Parish currently has piecemeal services to limited areas providing potable water, sanitary flushing water, sewage collection and salt water fire hydrant mains. An area of such cultural and economic importance to Bermuda must have commensurate water and wastewater servicing.”

“This Project will lay the groundwork for a National water strategy. Our long term aim is the provision of a robust and reliable water and wastewater service to all islanders and visitors, in a way that will allow Bermuda to be recognized as a leader in sustainability.”

For more information email stgeorgewwwplan@gov.bm.

By Ceola Wilson