St. Maarten Experiencing Water Problems

Though electrical blackouts have been occurring for more than 40 years in St. Maarten and the rest of the Caribbean, water "dryouts" are a new and hugely irritating problem on the Dutch Side of St. Maarten.

After shutting down its antiquated salt water treatment plant in Mullet Bay, the Dutch Side of the island, whose entire water system makes a sieve look water-tight, experienced exaggerated shortages. Result: rolling "dryouts" or water supply shutdowns, some of which lasted many hours on end.

There was no water for anything. Some creative people with pools have dumped pails filled with pool water into their toilets to enable flushing.

The Dutch Side says it will buy water from the French Side, an expensive proposition because high-flying Euros are used there and the Dutch Side's Antillean Guilder (Florin) is tagged to the weak US dollar.

Experiencing a period of unprecedented growth, the Dutch Side should have anticipated an increase in its need for potable water, but it didn't.

Hopefully buying water from the French Side of the island will start soon and relieve the problem. Until that happens, when water service is periodically restored, beware of stampedes on the way every Dutch Side bathroom....

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