Foreign experts invited to assess BVI’s water infrastructure
Works Minister Kye Rymer has revealed that a group of experts will soon visit the territory to assess its water infrastructure, as the government works to address the ongoing water issues affecting residents.
“Some time in the middle of June, we will be bringing in a consortium of engineers and various technicians to do an assessment of the territory’s water infrastructure, and this will guide us as to what should be done — the number of pipes and pressure management system we should put in place so we can get a different result from what we’ve been seeing for the past few years,” Rymer explained.
He added that the ministry has received a portion of the government’s $100 million loan to begin repairs on seven reservoirs across the territory.
“Those reservoirs have been leaking for some time and we want to start by repairing them,” Rymer said.
Residents continue to voice frustration over poor water services and consistently high bills, despite the infrequent supply. Rymer appealed for patience and said he sympathizes with the ongoing calls for a reliable water supply.
In the meantime, Minister Rymer confirmed that Cabinet has recently approved the merger of the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) and the Water & Sewerage Department (WSD), with legislation to be introduced soon to formalise the move.
Rymer said the new statutory body will be called the Virgin Islands Energy and Water Corporation (VEWCO) and is expected to improve the efficiency and delivery of these essential services.
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They will pay experts to come in to tell them what they know already. Fix the reservoirs, replace the old pipes, give water and sewage the money they need to buy resources. Not even a backhoe at times they have. Do you need an expert to tell you this?
to save face. a reputable firm was already on it. Everything will be exposed.
They should bring some experts to fix the roads. The same places need to be repaired constantly
This Photo is the definition of a FAILED Minister, nothing under this Minister is working!
This is how money fails to circulate in our economy. These foreign company will investigate (money out) and then offer a solution dressed up in a company with a few local investors (more money out in a disproportional amount versus what stays in the Territory) . We then wondering how we have no money in the place. The so called leaders ie either stupid corrupt or both in this Territory where VIP NDP or whatever is only about themselves
Who is Northam and when are they going to finish the Hodge’s Creek road? This is ridiculous!
i like kye but he is a failure as a works minister, and it’s his government’s fault, they set him up for failure
I think kye is tryings his best even though he is starve of cash to do infrastructure work by natalio Wheatley who rather give Vybz Kartel quarter million USD and other non stop party and traveling to meet with white colonials to instruct him knocking glass with champagne. But kye sabotage himself equating the ability to pay water bill for the water you can’t get as good service.
We need some experts to come in and run the H O A
Yeah! They are called elected officials that are competent leaders and have integrity. What we have here is a waste of space. I am tired of people in HOA highlighting problems where are leaders?
Kye is a complete failure as works minister. And can someone please tell him to turn back around the traffic.
He has made the traffic situation worse in town.
Everything under Kye is a failure – roads, water, admin complex, traffic, internet everything
round and round the mountain we go again. What the hek is wrong with the so-call leaders of this place? if this is where we are, the people will march and protest until the frogs turn into prince and nothing will change. You drive from east to west, north to south and water bubbling up under the road everywhere. People got to flush their toilet with a cup of water (which at times its a serious choice of whether to use half of that cup of water to sponge off and the next half to brush your teeth because dat water precious)
The saddest thing is all these charlatans make sure they give themselves high pay hikes while the people who really working in the system get zip
Kye knows and ACCEPTS what is going on. He benefits from these failures and has his own hustles setup and running, hence no real action from this guy.
He was never supposed to be a Minister of anything really; cool dude; but failure at this level!
This is just the plays out of Head Grouse playbook these young pirates working from.
Wasnt Biwater supposed to have sorted this out years ago?
Ask Fraser, he is right in the HOA.
Signed for massive water production yet never fixed the infrastructure which was the real issue for water distribution. Even blamed NDP administration for it.
Know your history, “voting has consequences”
Hope it is not the Northam Consortium or the Cline Consortiums of Consultancies Contract but No Reports Services, Gaskin, Parillon maybe or the Club perhaps, may be a Basketball player from the US or Jerry Willoughby, Scott Weisman maybe.
But of course we will never know.
TRANSPARENCY is the new watchword of this Government that has now fulfilled all the requirements of the COI and now is operated with complete TRANSPARENCY.
So in the spirit of TRANSPARENCY they have shown us they will be using their SECRECY cloak.
So do we want the water situation fixed or not? What is wrong with experts being brought in to do what’s necessary? Or is it that we do not want it fixed because we need something to constantly complain about?
WE want it fixed but you must know by now that it is often an opportunity for a company that has never been heard of before to be quickly be set up (and therefore they are no real experts), or a company that has a questionable record (solar contracts), or don’t deliver, (incinerator, airplanes, Northam, Cox Heath, Green Houses, LIFE, Cline etc).
So yes we want it fixed but what we dont want is another handing over of money and getting nothing in return that so often happens.
This always seems to happen when we are not told hwo the experts are and get to konw nothig about them or as in the case of the KPMG report don’t even get to see the expert report that we pay for.
Because SECRECT and CORRUPTION are our leaders.
But yes we do want to get it fixed. Are you sure this is SECRET invisible un knowable company is going to be the way to the fix or the way to handing over more of our money to people unknown.
What kind of economic activity we got going on in the Economic Zone? Enquiring minds wants to know. We have so much to do with money and we put millions in this nonsense. Best if they had used that money to finish the DDM Building and the Admin Complex. We frig, according to young Davies, with this set. Walking around all day, everyday with no purpose, no daily, weekly or monthly goals. In the waters of State, but no swimming going on. I laugh.
I have 3 large cisterns and large catchment area on my property so I don’t need their RO water!
In the BVI it’s best to be self sufficient than rely on the government’s inefficient!
I have 2 cisterns and a septic tank on my property. One cistern is for my home use and the other cistern is for emergency back up. At least I am able to take a good shower before go to work and at night. My 2 children can also take a good shower before going to school and before going to bed at nights as well
Wasn’t this done before? Any reason to think findings will be any different? Or, did we lose the reports and no one can remember?
Bringing experts to tell you what is already known. Wasting money to make it look like no one else knew. Weak link
What happen to the investment for Biwater. The rep for district 3 allegedly got his payout. Guess that all they cared about.
This is the same person who touted the Anegada Solar Farm project and was instrumental in getting it awarded to a newly-formed company owned Rob Wallace, who filed for bankruptcy 7 weeks later. https://www.bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/statement-honourable-kye-rymer-battery-energy-storage-system-ceremony-anegada
The project’s initial completion date was November of 2023, but the government has said nothing about it for some time. Note this from September of 2024: “Hopefully we can see that project come to completion very soon, hopefully early 2025 and the electricity woes over there will be a thing of the past,” Premier Wheatley stated on Tola Radio VI today, September 19, 2024. https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/premier-hopeful-solar-project-on-anegada-will-be-completed-early-2025
So typical of this Territory’s government: once the ceremonial photo op is over with, no follow-through. Keep in mind that these are the same people who want to spend $200-$400 M to expand Beef Island’s airport…
Not the Chinese I hope
basic commonsense and we need expert advise. wonder why? smh
People is still bathing themselves and their children out of buckets and a plastic cup to pour the water over your skin to wash off the soap. Don’t mention if you have to shampoo and condition your hair at home with no proper running water.
Once they fuse power & water everyone will be paying for town water weather connected or not. Wake up and smell the coffee government is going to make the independent villa’s pay for the locals who fair enough have never paid for water they’re not supplied with fuse literally the bills and here we go we’ll end up like st Thomas bankrupt utilities Beware!
Read back handers received for pointlessly repetitive consultancy contracts with resulting reports never to see light of day and with no real intention of implementation.
Please do the same for the roads and electricity thanks
We need a total revamp from experience, certified outside help with not someone who lives here and trying make a Quick buck
Why outside help look y’all got Cline and natalio brother here
Let them advise y’all since like to listen to foolishness instead of the people
Why we always have to go foreign to fix and look at local problems that we created? aah Suki Suki.
Many island problems face other islands. Potable water is one. Consider for example Bermuda. Every new residence must have a water catchment cistern. Occupancy is based on how much water can be collected. How many residences in the Territory are built this way?
They also have a very efficient and cheap public transport system and make it very expensive to own cars thought not so much for motorcycles. Few traffic jams, easy to get around, and fewer parking hassles.