The Standpipe: A Staple in Bajan Society (A Series)

A Historical Perspective

Today in Barbados, it is a norm to hop into the shower, turn on the pipe and enjoy a refreshing bath. No doubt, the thought of where and how this water came to hardly crosses our minds. However, the tale of water in Barbados is quite the interesting one. In the early years of settlement, people collected it from wells on plantations, springs and ponds and this practice continued well into the 19th century. So how did we move from this form of water usage to the indoor piping system that is widely known today? The answer to that question points to the local standpipe: the link between the earliest and the most modern methods of water access. This article will delve into the history of water, with emphasis on standpipes as well as their significance in the lives of Barbadians in regards to health, ease of accessibility and practical daily uses.

Firstly, with the lack of central regulation over water sources: wells, springs and ponds, there were initially no measures put in place to purify the water exclusively used by the island’s population. Consequently, this water was typically not used for consumption.

Washerwomen at Beckles Spring, St. Michael 1859

However, even use for domestic purposes such as washing and bathing with this water put individuals at considerable risk for infections. The direct consequence was what could only be described as a sanitary crisis. As a result, by the 1830s, the island’s population was faced by what could only be described a sanitary crisis. Diseases such as measles, dysentery, smallpox and the bigger contender of all: cholera, were wrecking havoc in Barbados.

In fact, 1853-1854 saw one of the most massive cholera outbreaks imaginable in our small island. A disease like cholera is caused by the ingestion of contaminated water and is particularly concerning because of its life-threatening effects on the body like dehydration and diarrhea. So high was the death toll in Barbados that the bodies of the deceased were buried in graves along beaches on the West Coast (Barbados Advocate 31 Mar. 1996, 36). One of these beaches in located St. Peter even earned the name ‘Cholera Beach’.

It was this severe impact on public health that drove the government to commence the process towards better water distribution in the 1860s. It all began with the establishment of the Bridgetown Waterworks Company by 1860 which pumped water from springs such as Codrington and Newcastle in St. John to the City. It was during this period that the true star of this story became of utmost importance: the standpipe.

Initially referred to as Queen Victoria’s pumps, so named for the monarch at the time of installation, standpipes became the means of facilitating water distribution in Barbados (Starkley 1939, 128). They were erected at strategic roadside points in districts throughout the island, beginning in Bridgetown and accommodated the collection of water by the public. By 1861, there were at least 105 standpipes present at a cost of £5,000 (Stoute 3 Feb, 1974, 4).

Admittedly, these installations did not magically solve the issues of sanitation in the early years. This unfortunate reality was so confirmed by economic geographer Otis Starkley who revealed that public health in 1894 was still suffering, with typhoid and dysentery epidemics ravaging the population.  He reasoned that despite the introduction of standpipes by the Bridgetown Company forty years prior, the majority of the rural sections were still relying on “water from ponds, cisterns and private wells” (Starkley 1939, 127). The issue was clear. The demand for free, well-distributed water was not adequately being met. It must also be noted that even the water provided to the City was still contaminated as it did not undergo the rigorous treatment process that is mandatory today. Consequently, the government decided it was time to take control of the crisis. Just a year later, in 1895, the Waterworks Department, today the Barbados Water Authority, was born.

This company was established under the Waterworks Act, which outlined its duties to provide this invaluable resource with the use of the standpipes. Subsequent to the passing of this Act, a considerable amount of funds was allocated to accommodate expansion of the public water system which suggests that standpipes were not only seen as the key to alleviating the impact of diseases but improving the general social life of Barbadians (Starkley 1939, 128). Thus, the Waterworks Act emphasized the maintenance of these pipes to facilitate the taking of water by inhabitants for their animals, their vehicles and most importantly, domestic purposes such as cooking and cleaning (Laws of Barbados 1944, 15).

In the first half of the twentieth century, the emphasis on standpipes increased, so confirmed by the continued erection of new pumps. An annual report published by the Colonial Office for the years 1952 and 1953 revealed that the by this time, more than five times the number of the original pumps had since been laid. In those two years alone, twenty-two of these pipes had been installed, bringing the number on the island to a grand total of 825. In fact, two-thirds of the population were at that time obtaining their water from standpipes (Colebrooke 28 Nov, 1854, 6). When one takes into consideration that water from these sources was free, the island-wide dependency was more than understandable.

When the Cholera epidemic tore through Barbados in 1854, potable water was procured from springs which were not available to the public. Instead of simply collecting their supply from a nearby spring, persons in Bridgetown had to buy their drinking water from individuals who carted it around the City. These vendors bought the water from the owners of the springs and in turn sold it at a rate of 2 cents for 4 gallons (General Report, page 6). Today, 2 cents for any commodity would come as a relief to Bajans but it is extremely important to contextualize the situation. 1854 was a mere sixteen years after slavery was abolished. Within that time period, little to nothing had been done to improve the social and economic situation for formerly enslaved Afro-Barbadians, which made up the largest section of the island’s population. With this in mind, it is very unlikely that the average Barbadian was able to afford to regularly pay for this water. This no doubt explains the difficulty faced in the 1850s to overcome the cholera epidemic. Standpipes, therefore, were significant because they removed the financial barrier to such an essential resource for maintaining optimal public health.

The convenient location of standpipes further contributed to their importance in Barbados. For the purpose of this research, a group of 9 individuals, all between the ages of 50 and 90 from varying parts of the island were interviewed. Eight of these persons expressed that the nearest standpipe to their home “was not very far” (see Table 1). The approximate distance noted was from 4 metres to 100 yards. Only one individual relayed a different tale. Ms. Adams, an elderly woman who grew up in St. George cited the nearest standpipe was actually quite far in her case. In fact, she recalls having to trek through a gully just to reach it (Adams 26 Jan, 2022).

However, it must be noted that she is the oldest individual interviewed and it is likely that with time, an increasing number of standpipes were installed to rectify this issue. This could explain why the younger interviewees had a very different experience in relation to the proximity of the standpipe and further suggests the growing need for them in the latter half of the 20th century. One can rationalize that even if springs and wells were no longer privatized, it would have certainly been more difficult to journey to the nearest one everyday. Instead the underground spring water was directly to communities, with the standpipe serving as an accessible “middleman” of sorts between the springs and the homes of Barbadians.

It must be mentioned that almost every interviewee, unprompted, made sure to describe the way in which the typical Bajan transported water from the standpipe: with buckets balanced on their heads. For instance, Ms. Adams said that after walking the distance to the pipe and collecting the water, they would carry the buckets on their heads through the gully back to their homes (Adams 26 Jan, 2022). Meanwhile, Mr. Pierce, a gentleman who grew up in Bank Hall, St. Michael echoed this sentiment. He recalled balancing the buckets of water down the hill from the pipe while trying not to spill the water (Pierce 26 Jan, 2022). It is practically unimaginable that younger Bajans today would be capable of doing the same, having grown up in the era of indoor plumbing and subsequently missing out on the daily treks to and from the standpipe.

However, this practice was certainly not bizarre to past generations and was not limited to buckets of water. Many an individual journeyed to and from home with bags and boxes of ground provisions, canes and more which suggests that this was simply a more efficient way of transporting them. One can only regard such a practice, so synonymous with Caribbean culture, as an indication of the ingenuity of a people who found unique ways to carry out their day-to-day tasks.

Lastly, the standpipe was indispensable because in most instances, people did not have running water in their homes. Therefore, it was often the only considerable means of obtaining their supply. It goes without saying that water was a daily necessity for all manner of domestic tasks. For example, almost all of the respondents noted it was used to wash clothing, dishes and even hair. They also bathed with the water from the standpipe. Interestingly, three of the interviewees: Ms. A. Crookendale, Mrs. K. Bartlett and Ms. F Sealy, revealed that even after indoor plumbing was introduced, the standpipe still served a purpose (Crookendale, Bartlett, Sealy 26 Jan, 2022). In times of water outages, standpipes were the first places to turn to as they were usually not turned off by the Waterworks Department. While they were no longer day-to-day necessities with the introduction and widespread use of washing machines and indoor sinks and bathrooms, standpipes were still considered to be extremely vital. Thus, it can certainly be deduced that they served an important role in Barbadian communities as they provided water when it could not be accessed in individual homes.

To conclude, the story of the standpipe runs deep in Barbadian heritage. Not only were these pipes crucial to overcoming the spread of infectious diseases, they made water easily accessible to the general public as opposed to a privileged few. With time, their convenience was solidified due to their location and as providers of water before and after the days of indoor plumbing. Therefore, one cannot dispute that due to its benefits to the social and economic lives of Barbadians, the standpipe was a true staple in Barbados.

  Bibliography

A. Crookendale, K. Barlett and F.Sealy, interview by Belinda Martindale (Barbados, January 26, 2022)

Adams, interview by Belinda Martindale (Barbados, January 26, 2022)

B. Martindale, interview by Stacia Martindale (Barbados, January 26, 2022)

“[Beckles Spring 1859 courtesy of the Barbados Museum & Historical Society.”] Photograph. From UWI Museum. https://uwimuseum.wordpress.com/2020/05/25/this-too-shall-pass-memories-of-the-cholera-epidemic-of-1854-in-barbados/ (January 29, 2022).

“Cholera Beach”. Barbados Advocate. March 31, 1996, 36.

Colebrooke, W. “General Report”. Government House Barbados. Nov 28, 1854, 6.

D. Johnson, interview by Belinda Martindale (Barbados, January 26, 2022)

E. Pierce, interview by Belinda Martindale (Barbados, January 26, 2022)

G. Bailey-Jones, interview by Belinda Martindale (Barbados, January 26, 2022)

J. Greenidge, interview by Belinda Martindale (Barbados, January 26, 2022)

Laws of Barbados Vol II. Advocate Company Limited, 1944.

Starkley, Otis. 1939. The Economic Geography of Barbados: A Study of the Relationships

Between Environmental Variations and Economic Development. (Columbia University Press, 1939)

Stoute, Edward. “Private Company First Piped Water Into City”. Barbados Advocate. Feb 3, 1974, 4.

Stay tuned for the second entry in this series:

The Standpipe: A Cultural Icon