The Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) has reached a major milestone in its infrastructure modernization initiative in St. John’s, with a new water distribution main now delivering service to High Street, according to official government announcements.
Maurice Merchant, Director General of Communications, shared this update with reporters during a post-Cabinet media briefing held Friday, noting that the project is part of a broader push to update the capital’s aging water network. “The Authority has informed Cabinet that High Street is now being supplied via the newly installed water main, which represents a significant step forward in our program to modernize the city’s outdated water infrastructure,” Merchant stated.
APUA has confirmed that the installation of the new water distribution lines is fully complete. At this stage, all remaining construction activities are focused on finishing last-minute service connections, installing valve box covers, and restoring pavement sections that were disrupted during the installation process.
This latest progress update follows a presentation delivered to Cabinet on October 14 by both APUA and the Ministry of Works, which outlined ongoing infrastructure improvement projects being carried out ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) set to be hosted in Antigua and Barbuda.
According to Merchant, APUA projects that all construction crews will be withdrawn from the capital by the end of the weekend, clearing the way for the Ministry of Works to speed up road resurfacing and overall site restoration work.
Merchant also addressed public frustration, acknowledging that many local residents have raised concerns over disruption to the city and poor conditions in St. John’s throughout the duration of the construction project.
While High Street is now connected to the new water main, officials did not provide details on whether local customers will immediately see improved service, such as longer supply hours or fewer service interruptions. Additionally, no specific data was shared regarding the new main’s water capacity, the exact number of properties that will benefit from the upgrade, or the total cost of the installation project.