Department of Environment Officially Commissions Constructed Wetlands and Trains Officers in Nature Based Wastewater Management

Basseterre, St Kitts 21 May 2026 – From 18 to 20 May 2026, the Ministry of Environment,
Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment’s Department of Environment successfully
piloted its constructed wetlands wastewater treatment system located at Taylor’s Housing in
Basseterre.

The three-day event combined a formal commissioning ceremony and site walk-through with
classroom-style training and hands-on exercises, establishing the installation as both an
infrastructural development but also a vital learning hub and technical capacity-building
opportunity.

Participants from agencies across St. Kitts and Nevis engaged in comprehensive training on
treatment mechanisms, water quality sampling, and management. Such training will be ongoing
with the aim of building a core group of officers who can effectively ensure and uphold the local
management of the site. This team will be responsible for monitoring system performance,
interpreting results, and managing routine operations.

Upon the site’s official commissioning, Mr. Eavin Parry, Project Focal Point, highlighted the
importance of the wetlands system as a practical nature based solution within communities,
stating that “by using plants, gravel media, microorganisms, and controlled water flow, it
supports the natural treatment of wastewater while reducing nutrient and bacterial pollution.” He
further underscored that the project’s active involvement of local communities was intentional
consideration to foster ownership and understanding.

Scientifically, the system works by reducing nutrient and microbial inputs into terrestrial and
marine habitats which directly improve ecosystem health. This means that not only are we
fostering coastal resilience and acting for the safety and health of our reefs and marine
ecosystems, but, we are equally furthering the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) namely, SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation; SDG 13: Climate
Action; and SDG 14: Life Below Water. Simply put, the project directly aligns with regional and
international biodiversity and environmental conservation objectives and places the Federation
one step closer to the achievement of its national Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA).
Other partners involved in the project are Mr. T. Denison Paul of WaterWorks Solutions, Mr.
Alphonsus Daniel of Daniel & Daniel Engineering, and Contractor, Roland Stanley
Construction. Partner organizations include: the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and
the Organization of American States (OAS).

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