Castries, St Lucia - Mexico is providing a US$5 million grant to undertake a water supply project in the east coast village of Dennery on St Lucia that is expected to bring relief to thousands of residents, some of whom will receive piped water for the first time.

The Dennery North Water Supply Redevelopment Project will span 18 months, with the design and construction phase scheduled to be implemented by December 2017.

The Mexican grant is being made available through the United Nations Office for Project Services, which is functioning as the project management entity, in accordance with the signed agreement. The St Lucia government, which is providing US$16 million towards the project, will manage its implementation.

Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, who was among a team of government and opposition Parliamentarians along with the Mexican Ambassador Luis Manuel Lopes Moreno laying and covering a symbolic water pipe, said he appreciated the fact the government and the opposition had worked together on the project.

"St Lucians must spend less time focusing on the negatives and more time on the positives. Let's celebrate what's great in our country," he said.

Former sports minister and Opposition representative for the area, Shawn Edwards, thanked the government for not shelving the project noting that over the past five decades the area has been plagued by a poor water supply.

"There are people who have never seen running water in their taps during their lifetime, while what they had access to the quality was also woefully inadequate."

"This is not a victory for me as parliamentary representative or for the Prime Minister but for all the constituents irrespective of religious persuasion or political affiliation," he added.