The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A top bottled water manufacturer today predicted it will face a production backlog lasting for weeks once the present New Providence lockdown is lifted and demand surges.

Christian Knowles, Aquapure’s chief of operations, told Tribune Business he has

written to the Competent Authority (Prime Minister's Office) seeking an exemption to be able to deliver water to essential services workers in government agencies, especially the hospitals and the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

Speaking amid speculation that the Government may allow food stores and water depots to re-open, Mr Knowles said: “Right now we are in lockdown and we are not able to work, but in terms of feeling I don’t know what to feel right now.

"I know for one thing that people are going to need water, and they are going to need food. I don’t know how this is going to work.”

Mr Knowles said he was waiting for a response from the Competent Authority to his request, adding that the escalation in COVID-19 was "that bad" and it served no purpose to blast the Prime Minister or the Government over the latest restrictions.

Asked how much this latest seven-day lockdown will hold Aquapure back, he said: “We will be backed up for quite some time. We have enough workers.

"However, there is only a certain amount of bottled water I can put out in a day

and have delivered to customers. We will be slammed for the following few weeks once we re-open trying to fill the demand.”

Aquapure will not hire additional workers once it re-opens, as Mr Knowles said “it is not about the staffing, but about the amount of time in the day to bottle water".

He added: “On regular days, and particularly during the previous lockdown

restrictions, the lines to our offices on Bernard Road stretched all the way down

Bernard Road. We try to get to everyone that is on the line the best way we can.”