The Cayman Islands being situated in the North-West Caribbean and having no rivers or lakes are vulnerable to water insecurity.
Traditional Caymanian homes were built with a cistern or tank beside the house being fed by gutters from the roof. A hand pump would often be used to pump water up ten to fifteen to a barrel or two to supply gravity fed water in the house.
As water usage patterns have changed, with modern households having washing machines [rather than a wash tub) dishwashers, showers and all the modern conveniences, their water usage has gone up tremendously. As a result of these changes it has become easier and cheaper to connect homes to the city piped water supply and avoid the cost of constructing a cistern.
As a result of being connected to the city water system is has also become very easy to ignore ones water usage, allowing even higher consumption. In the old days homeowners would, as a matter of habit, check the water level of their cisterns and cast their eyes on the heavens to see if there was any rain clouds in sight.
It was also a tradition in the Cayman Islands to have a well beside each home. Many of these well produced water that was, if not fresh, at least had low enough salt levels to be drinkable. More
