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By People’s Democratic Movement (PDM)
TURKS and CAICOS ISLANDS, Salt Cay – A delegation from the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) spent Tuesday in Salt Cay, visiting residents throughout the community, listening directly to their concerns and examining the serious issues surrounding the island’s ongoing water-supply difficulties.
The delegation included PDM leader Douglas Parnell; leader of the opposition and member of parliament for Salt Cay, Edwin Astwood; secretary-general Mark A. Fulford; former minister of works Goldray Ewing; former speaker of the House of Assembly Dwayne Taylor; and Salt Cay resident Noel Hamilton.
The team remained on the island for the entire day, travelled throughout the community and visited nearly every household. Residents were given an opportunity to speak openly about the water situation and the wider challenges associated with living in one of the country’s smallest and most frequently overlooked communities.
The visit allowed the PDM to hear directly from residents, assess the circumstances confronting the island and reinforce its commitment to holding the government accountable for the prolonged disruption of an essential public service.
Salt Cay’s reverse-osmosis plant has been out of operation following the failure of a critical filter in June. The minister responsible has publicly apologised to residents and acknowledged that measures could have been taken to prevent the island’s water supply from reaching such a critical point.
While emergency shipments of water may provide temporary relief, transporting water to government storage tanks cannot be presented as a permanent resolution. Emergency deliveries do not mean that the island’s water-production system has been restored or that the underlying problem has been corrected.
The arrival of emergency water confirms the seriousness of the situation and the need for a dependable, long-term solution.
“Access to safe and reliable water is not a privilege, and it is not a political favour. It is one of the most basic services that any government must provide,” the Party said. “The question is not simply whether a barge eventually arrived. The real question is why Salt Cay was allowed to reach this point and what is being done to ensure that it never happens again.”
PDM leader Douglas Parnell said every island must receive fair and consistent treatment from the government.
“Whether a community has 50 residents or 50,000 residents, every Turks and Caicos Islander is entitled to dignity, reliable infrastructure and the basic services necessary for everyday life,” Parnell said. “We went to Salt Cay to listen and to understand the situation directly from the people living through it. The people of Salt Cay must know that they are seen, they are heard, and they matter.”
Leader of the opposition Edwin Astwood said Salt Cay’s residents deserve more than temporary responses whenever an essential system fails.
“The people of Salt Cay are resilient and deeply proud of their island, but their resilience must never be used as an excuse for inadequate public services,” Astwood said. “Residents should not have to live from one emergency shipment to another while waiting for their water-production system to be repaired. We will continue pressing the government until the plant is fully operational and a reliable, sustainable solution is in place.”
The PDM is calling on the government to provide clear answers on:
- The present operational status of Salt Cay’s reverse-osmosis plant;
- The reason adequate contingency arrangements were not activated before the island’s reserves became critically low;
- The timeline for restoring full and reliable water production;
- The condition and capacity of the government’s storage and distribution infrastructure; and
- The permanent measures that will be implemented to prevent another prolonged interruption.
The PDM thanked Noel Hamilton and the residents of Salt Cay for welcoming the delegation into their homes and speaking candidly about their experiences.
Salt Cay is often affectionately called “the island that time forgot,” reflecting its history, tranquillity and unique character. That description must never define the standard of essential public services its people receive.
At the conclusion of the visit, the delegation delivered drinking water to households as an immediate gesture of assistance. The PDM emphasised, however, that distributing drinking water is not a substitute for the Government’s responsibility to provide Salt Cay with a properly functioning water-production system and a dependable supply.
The Movement will continue standing with Salt Cay and advocating for a permanent, reliable and sustainable solution to the island’s water challenges.
Salt Cay may be the island that time forgot, but it must never become the island that government forgot.
