EXUMA, Bahamas -- Farmer's Cay resident Nancy Ellis sings a gospel song, during the recent E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival adjudications, at the Farmer's Cay All Age Age School in the Exuma Cays.  (BIS Photo / Eric Rose)   

ELEUTHERA, The Bahamas – A $600,000 investment in a South Eleuthera Reverse Osmosis and Desalination Processing and storage plant has the island’s representatives hoping to connect the water systems to ensure sustainability.  The plant is designed as a modular system to accommodate expansion and add additional facilities to increase the supply, once the demand increases.

“The size of this plant, as I understand it, is half a million gallons of water, but we will be supplying presently the Rock Sound community and the Tarpum Bay community.  We have plants in North Eleuthera at the missile base, just outside of Governor's Harbour, and now this plant here, and there is a plant further south in Waterford,” said Oswald Ingraham, Opposition MP for South Eleuthera.

“The whole idea really is to connect all of the systems, so that when one is down, of course it will be piped straight through.  At the moment, it’s piped as far as in the north, just south of Savannah Sound, about two miles.  And then from the south, it is about seven miles south of Rock Sound.  So the whole idea is to bring it all together so we will have an unrestricted flow. My greatest concern is that we have it in place.”

The RO plant would satisfy the island’s dire need for fresh water, and it also has the potential to offer at least 30 new jobs in Eleuthera.

NASSAU, Bahamas -- The Long Island Association is presented with a cheque from the Ministry of Sports on Monday, May 30, to help fund the 44th Annual Long Island Regatta, scheduled to be held June 2 -- June 4.

The South Andros Regatta Committee also received a cheque for its regatta, set as well for June 2 - June 4.

Pictured from left: Timothy Munnings, director of sports; Michelle McPhee, regatta officer in the Ministry of Sports; Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture the Hon. Charles Maynard; Henderson Burrows, treasurer, Long Island Association; and Dr. Ruth Sumner, president of the Long Island Association. (BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson)

EXUMA, Bahamas -- Farmer's Cay All Age Age School kindergarten and first-grade students recite a poem about fishing, during the recent E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival adjudications, at the school in the Exuma Cays.  (BIS Photo / Eric Rose)

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Students, teachers and parents from Bowen Sound Primary School, Andros are pictured with Governor-General Sir Arthur Foulkes during a courtesy call at Government House on Friday, May 27, 2011.

Standing to the left of Sir Arthur is Cathrine Munroe-Sweeting, the principal at the primary school.

(BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson)

EXUMA, Bahamas -- E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival Dance Adjudicator Lawrence Carroll lead Black Point All-Age School students in an exercise and dance routine, during a recent workshop at the school in the Exuma Cays.  (BIS Photo / Eric Rose)  

EXUMA, The Bahamas – Transforming Bahamians through Energy Efficiency Leadership has Exumians gravitating to the reality of lowering their electric bills, separating their garbage, and adopting renewable energies for energy conservation.  By 2014, the use of incandescent bulbs will be restricted in the U.S.  The Bahamas Government has initiated this programme to engage Bahamians in the conversion to CFLs now, so the country can remain in tandem with global standards.

“Now, we can’t give it to everyone and this is an exchange programme to begin that process.  It is meant for those who have the most challenges in paying their bill, and so for those who do not qualify, it is clear that you have high consumption and you need to address how to lower your light bill and we will assist you in that regard.  So I encourage everyone to determine whether you’re on this list,” said Phenton Neymour, Minister of State for the Environment.

“We are also doing this to encourage a disposal of waste programme.  We want to begin encouraging Bahamians to separate their garbage.  This new Compact Florescent Light bulb contains a small amount of mercury.  It’s not harmful by itself.  But when we are going through a mass distribution exercise like we are doing right now, it can influence our environment and it’s important we protect our environment.  So, we are encouraging Bahamians not to dispose of these bulbs with the normal waste.”

On May 6, about 100 Exuma residents appeared in downtown George Town to trade their incandescent bulbs for CFLs.  They also got information about the government’s recycling programme, initiated by the Department of Environmental Health (DEHS) in conjunction with Local Government Administration.