Saint Lucia is a 620 km² independent island state with a population of 183,630 inhabitants (2020, World Bank). Its population density is of 296,18 inhabitants per km2. The population tends to be concentrated around the coast, with the interior more sparsely populated, due to the presence of dense forests. The capital city of Saint Lucia is Castries where more than 30% of the population lives.
The volcanic island of Saint Lucia is more mountainous than most Caribbean islands. The local climate is tropical, specifically a tropical rainforest climate, with a dry season and a wet season (also referred to by locals as the hurricane season).
Surface water is the primary source of water for the island. The most important rivers for water supply are Cul de Sac, Canelles, Dennery, Fond, Piaye, Doree,Canaries, Roseau, and Marquis. River flows drastically increase during the wet season, from June to November but drinking water intermittency may occur due to heavy siltation and clogging of water intakes.
Drinking water and sanitation
In Saint Lucia, wastewater treatment is inadequate. There is an absence of wastewater management in most communities. In terms of access to water and sanitation services in Saint Lucia, 94% has access to sanitation services. Nevertheless, only 7% of the population is connected to a public sewer systems (only in Castries and Islet districts), compared to a Caribbean average of 17%. Thus, only 7 percent of all domestic blackwater (water containing excreta from sanitary applications) produced in Saint Lucia goes through collective sanitation systems. The majority is channelled into septic tanks (more than 80%).
The CARIBSAN project partner in Saint Lucia is WASCO (St. Lucia Water and Sewerage Company).
