What the project involves

The Climate-Resilient Water Sector in Grenada, or G-CREWS, is strengthening Grenada’s water system so that it can cope better with drought, intense rainfall, hurricanes and other climate-related pressures. The programme combines improvements to water governance and conservation with major investments in NAWASA’s infrastructure, including new water-storage tanks, pipeline works, the Seven Sisters Water Transfer Project and modern monitoring technology.

For NAWASA, the infrastructure programme includes eight new water-storage tanks at strategic locations and extensive pipeline works to move water more effectively between production, storage and distribution areas. By December 2025, four of the eight tanks were still under construction, while tanks and associated pipelines had been developed in areas including St. Mark, Mirabeau, Peggy’s Whim, Morne Rouge, Chantilly and Carriacou.

The investment goes beyond pipes and tanks. Under G-CREWS, NAWASA has introduced a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, or SCADA, system at the Annandale Water Treatment Plant, Grand Etang Pumping Station and Old Fort Tank. The system continuously monitors water levels, flows, pressure and water-quality parameters and allows staff to respond more quickly to faults or abnormal operating conditions. A Site Acceptance Test was completed in April 2026, together with practical training for NAWASA operators.

Why it is needed

Grenada’s water supply is particularly exposed to climate change because the country depends heavily on surface water and rainwater catchment. Higher average temperatures, increasingly unpredictable rainfall, intense rain events that raise turbidity in raw water, and saltwater intrusion into coastal groundwater all place additional pressure on freshwater supplies and treatment systems. G-CREWS was designed to address those risks by increasing water availability while reducing demand and strengthening the management of the water sector.

The challenge is already evident in communities that experience dry-season shortages. In southeastern Grenada, for example, the Les Avocate and Petite Etang systems serve approximately 11,400 people and experience water deficits during the dry season. The Seven Sisters Water Transfer Project is intended to supplement these systems through a new intake and pump station at Great River and a transfer pipeline through the Grand Etang Forest Reserve.

Additional storage is just as important. Larger storage reserves give NAWASA more flexibility when rainfall is low, production is disrupted or extreme weather affects normal operations. On Carriacou, two new 100,000-imperial-gallon tanks at Mt. Royal and Belair were commissioned in late September 2026, increasing the island’s capacity to hold water for droughts, hurricanes and other disruptions.

What customers can expect while it is underway

Residents near active G-CREWS work sites may experience temporary construction impacts while pipelines, tanks and associated facilities are completed. The project’s Environmental and Social Management Plan is intended to minimise impacts on communities and the environment, and G-CREWS and NAWASA have been conducting community visits to explain works, answer questions and provide information on how concerns can be reported.

Customers can use the project’s Grievance Redress Mechanism to raise concerns connected to construction, including dust, noise and site-safety issues. Complaints are formally documented and addressed as part of the project’s environmental and social safeguards.

As the infrastructure is brought into service, customers should benefit from stronger storage and distribution capacity and a water system that is better equipped to operate during dry periods and emergencies. The new SCADA system also gives NAWASA operators real-time information on critical parts of the network, improving the utility’s ability to detect unusual conditions, respond to faults and manage water quality.