High-strength, corrosion-resistant PVC piping, set to replace major sections of Anguilla’s ageing water infrastructure, has begun arriving on the island.
The Department of Water Services has received its first shipment of four flat racks of C900 pipe which will be used to strengthen water distribution along two roads.
The pipe will be laid from JW Proctors on Albert Lake Drive along Long Path Road toward Sandy Hill, and along Jeremiah Gumbs Highway – from Little Harbour to the intersection with Blowing Point Road.
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Water minister Kyle Hodge announced the update during a government press conference on 9 February, calling it an “important milestone in our national water rehabilitation programme”.
Replacement of the old pipes “will reduce leaks and water loss, improve pressure and distribution and deliver a more reliable supply to homes and businesses across Anguilla”, Hodge said.
He said the shipment had arrived in Road Bay Port that morning and that the department is expecting 18 flat racks of piping in total.
The minister explained that the procurement documentation for the project, which has been in development for “some time”, is now nearing completion.
“Once finalised, it will be publicly advertised and open to local contractors so that the Anguillian businesses can participate fully in delivering this critical infrastructure work,” he said.
Leaks and unauthorised connections
In August 2025, Hodge said the replacement of Anguilla’s ageing water distribution infrastructure would cost about EC$50 million.
According to earlier reports, 80% of the island’s water supply was being lost to leaks and to unauthorised connections – a situation the water minister described as “very stressful”.
In the government’s latest budget, EC$9 million was committed to cover trenching, pipe procurement and the repiping across the “worst zones” in Anguilla.
The UK government has also committed grants totalling £1 million to be spent during the current budget year for the project.
During the recent press conference, Hodge said he spoke with Rommel Hughes, former CEO of the Water Corporation of Anguilla, to review lessons learned from previous network upgrades.
“One of the key takeaways in that meeting is the importance for strong project oversight and proper installation techniques,” he said.
“We will be placing particular emphasis and carefully handling and placing the pipes in those trenches – proper bedding beneath the pipes, adequate compaction above the lines, and continuous monitoring of the contractual works.”
He said that to guarantee that the installation is done correctly, the department will be deploying dedicated project managers to monitor each stage of the works.
