Dominica’s ambitious national water infrastructure overhaul is moving closer to completion, despite unexpected climate-related disruptions and implementation hurdles, according to the island’s state-owned water utility. The Dominica Water and Sewerage Company Limited (DOWASCO) announced this week that the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has greenlit a six-month extension for the Water Sector Strategic Development Project (WSSDP), pushing the final disbursement deadline from March 30 to September 30, 2026, to give contractors sufficient time to wrap up remaining works and deliver the initiative’s core development goals.
The multi-component upgrade project has already marked major milestones across its infrastructure components, DOWASCO confirmed in an official press release. Seven of the nine planned Glass-Fused-to-Steel water storage tanks have been fully constructed across six communities: Castle Bruce, Calibishie, Morne Jaune, Grand Fond, Salisbury, and Grand Savanne. Preparatory concrete work for the base of the eighth tank, located in Morne Rachette, was scheduled to kick off by July 8. Once all nine tanks are operational, they will add roughly 1.195 million imperial gallons of collective water storage capacity to the national network, guaranteeing at least two full days of water supply for served communities and drastically boosting the reliability and climate resilience of Dominica’s water system.
Substantial progress has also been recorded on pipeline installation across the project area. Pressure testing for new pipelines in Castle Bruce is nearly complete, with testing for the Calibishie segment set to start imminently. After successful testing, crews will move forward with pipeline disinfection, transfer of existing service connections, and final road restoration. In the interim, DOWASCO has prioritized temporary trench reinstatement to maintain safety and access for local drivers and residents.
In the coming weeks, crews will tackle additional key works including river and ravine crossing installations in Coulibistrie and Morne Jaune, as well as the construction of three dedicated pump houses and four chlorinator facilities. Design adjustments to portions of the pipeline network required the ordering of extra pipes and fittings, which are scheduled to arrive in mid-August. Once the materials are delivered, crews will complete the remaining pipeline laying in the Morne Rachette area.
The project faced an unexpected setback in April 2026, when severe flooding triggered by intense rainfall from a tropical trough system hit Dominica’s east coast. The extreme weather sparked multiple landslides in the Castle Bruce area, where a shift in the course of a Senhouse River tributary caused severe erosion at one tank construction site and damaged the site’s access road. An upstream landslide formed a temporary natural dam that eventually collapsed, sending a large mudslide downstream that left widespread flooding, erosion, and debris deposition in its wake.
While the extreme weather event damaged one project site, DOWASCO emphasized that the disruption underscores the urgent need for the WSSDP’s core focus on climate-resilient infrastructure. After evaluating multiple engineering solutions, the utility confirmed the optimal path forward is to dismantle the partially completed affected tank and reconstruct it at a new, more geologically secure location on a purpose-built concrete foundation, with disassembly set to begin shortly. Remedial work is already underway to stabilize eroded pipe trenches and repair access roads damaged during the flood event.
The final phase of the project will focus on raw water intake infrastructure, including the construction of new intakes at Castle Bruce and Coulibistrie, and the rehabilitation of aging existing intakes at Grand Fond and Calibishie. This final set of works will be funded through local counterpart financing from Dominican authorities.
Funded by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office via the UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund, the WSSDP is administered by the CDB in partnership with the Government of Dominica and DOWASCO. DOWASCO reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a successful final project, thanking local residents and all stakeholders for their patience and cooperation throughout the multi-year implementation process. Once complete, the initiative will transform Dominica’s water infrastructure, locking in long-term improvements to service reliability, expanded storage capacity, and enhanced climate resilience for the national water supply system.