Water reuse and conservation in the Virgin Islands

Abstract

The lack of adequate natural freshwater and the high cost of producing desalinized seawater has promoted extensive conservation and reuse of water in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The conservation measures include the use of rainwater catchments, storm water impoundment, and dual water systems.Of the many water reuse installations in these Caribbean Islands, the most notable is the St. Croix Wastewater Reclamation Project, which has been using treated wastewater effluent for artificial ground-water recharge during the period 1974–1977. Plans are to expand this project by 1981.