The primary purpose of the dam is municipal water supply.

It is named after John Compton, the former Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, who was influential in its implementation.

[1] Construction on it began in April 1993 but was substantially delayed when Tropical Storm Debby struck the island on 10 September 1994.

Rainfall from the storm exceeded the 1000 year estimate and ensuing floods breached the incomplete dam.

Hurricane Tomas in 2010 and a severe December 2013 storm created large landslides in the reservoir that have reduced its capacity by 30 percent.