By Gerrino J. Saunders
Journal Staff Writer

Prime Minister Philip Davis has signed a desalination contract between the Water
and Sewerage Corporation and Consolidated Water for two desalination plants.
While at his West Bay Street office he said it marks the beginning of an
“extraordinary” new chapter for Cat Island.
According to the Prime Minister the Member of Parliament for Cat Island, the
agreement is a “much-welcomed extension” of the infrastructural upgrades he
oversaw as Minister of Works in 2016 before demitting office in 2017 when the
Progressive Liberal Party lost the general election to the Hubert Minnis
administration.
Mr. Davis explained with the signing of this Heads of Agreement with
Consolidated Water, they set in motion the design, construction, and operation of
two desalination plant facilities on Cat Island, one at New Bight in the South, and
the other at Bennett’s Harbour in the North.
At that time (2016), he noted, three million dollars’ worth of funding from the
Caribbean Development Bank was put toward the installation of eleven miles of
new water mains and about 300 service connections. 
He said, “Now, after four years of stagnancy during the previous administration,
this government is continuing water upgrades through the ongoing Cat Island Road
Paving and Public Infrastructure Public Private Partnership (PPP) Project.
“Already, we have allocated over $32 million to install 95 miles of new water
mains and 800 service connections in Cat Island.  I am pleased to share that these
works are well underway, with final completion slated for early 2026.”   
During the Minnis Administration Mr. Davis was ridiculed and laughed at in the
House of Assembly by members of the FNM during a presentation by Adrian
Gibson the MP for Long Island and then Executive Chairman of the Water and
Sewerage Corporation (WSC) who said he would show Mr. Davis how to ‘lay
pipe’ (water mains) on Cat Island.
In December of 2020 under the FNM the WSC signed a contract with Island Site
Development (ISD) to begin the laying of 12 miles of pipes they said would

provide Cat Island homes and businesses with piped, potable water for the first
time.
FNM leader Dr. Hubert Minnis, Minister of Public Works Desmond Bannister and
Gibson were all on the island for the signing of the $3.1 million contract that was
part of a Bahamas-wide Caribbean Development Bank Water Supply Improvement
Project.
Despite the concerted effort by the Minnis Administration in Mr. Davis’ home
town, he went on to retain his Cat Island Rum Cay and San Salvador seat in the
2021 elections and is now Prime Minister of The Bahamas, while Dr. Minnis and
Mr. Gibson make up the oppositions Parliamentary caucus and former minister Mr.
Bannister is not in frontline politics at this time.