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Track Record

Tobago Case Study

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• Robert Bisson and EarthWater’s success on the island of Tobago illustrates the significant implications of Megawatershed exploration and development
• In the year 2000 Tobago was in the midst of a severe water crisis that threatened to discourage foreign investment and impede economic growth
• The Island had a computed water supply deficit of 2 to 3 MGDs (roughly 35% of total water demand). During both dry and wet seasons, the Island’s water supply deficit effectively double
• The Government of Tobago considered several options:
  1. Damming the Richmond River to create a reservoir
  2. Groundwater Development
  3. Seawater Desalination
  4. Water Barging (importing water from elsewhere, specifically the North Coast of Trinidad)
  5. Upgrading existing water treatment plants

(Options 3 - 5 were deemed too costly and / or environmentally harmful. Option 1 was initially chosen, even though it would destroy a portion of a protected rainforest in Northern Tobago)

In June 1999, experts from the Dutch consulting firm Delft Hydraulics completed a technical report for Tobago’s government that indicated significant, additional groundwater could not be developed in either Tobago or Trinidad. For decades expert geologists, both local and foreign, had concluded that Tobago’s “incremental” groundwater supply was limited to 0.5 MGDs, half of which was already being accessed. The most viable option to achieve the 5 MGDs goal appeared to be damming the Richmond River; building the dam would have taken eight years, cost $60 to $80 million (excluding the requisite infrastructure, roads, pumps, etc.) and would have destroyed a portion of the Island’s rain forest.

In a final attempt to avoid constructing the dam, Tobago contracted EarthWater to employ its groundwater exploration and development approach; EarthWater targeted high-yield wells in the Island’s underlying bedrock as new sources of freshwater and chose locations proximate to Tobago’s existing water existing distribution system.