The Belize Water Services (BWS) branch in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, is currently in the middle of a land dispute with an international business company called Crocodile Lagoon Estate Company.
The property in question is where BWS has its water treatment plant and is installing more reverse osmosis equipment to supply the growing municipality.
The issue is a piece of land located south of downtown San Pedro that was apparently sold to a foreign company without their knowledge.
Crocodile Lagoon Estate Company has since hired a top law firm in Belize claiming damages amounting to millions of dollars.
The dispute could affect the future water supply to Ambergris Caye.
BWS is boosting its operations by digging two major saltwater wells to install a desalination plant and reverse osmosis water treatment facility.
The main hurdle now is that the property leased to the water company was reportedly sold in 2011 to Crocodile Lagoon Estate Company based in Anguilla.
BWS is said to have a 30-year lease that started in 2002, and they were unaware of the property sale.
It is believed that duplicate leases were created, and perhaps a title was then granted to Crocodile Lagoon Estate, a mistake that can happen at the Department of Lands.
The local water company reportedly did not learn about this until 2018, after investing thousands of dollars in infrastructure on the said property.
Area Representative for Belize Rural South (Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker), the Honourable Andre Perez, weighed in claiming he is shocked and expressed his concerns that a pittance was reportedly paid for the land, and now they are asking for millions of dollars in compensation.
He considers this fiasco a land grab that took place during the previous administration.
That piece of land is critical, and part of an important service BWS provides to Ambergris Caye, and it threatens to hold us at ransom with a water shortage.
Hon. Andre Perez, Area Representative for Belize Rural South
According to Perez, at this point, there is not much the government can do but wait for what happens in court but if BWS should lose the legal battle for some reason, the government will have to find other properties where the expansion of the water plant can take place as it is an essential component of the island community.
