Fraser links COI to reservoir delay at Paraquita Bay

Deputy Premier Julian Fraser has suggested that the Commission of Inquiry (COI) process may have slowed the construction of the long-promised reservoir at Paraquita Bay, which aims to support local farmers and strengthen food security in the Virgin Islands.

Speaking during a recent government forum, Fraser acknowledged public concerns about the project’s timeline and stated that such infrastructure would previously take significantly less time to complete.

“While others can pretend that there was not a thing called COI, government doesn’t have that luxury,” Fraser said. “There was a time when building a reservoir would have taken six months, maybe less. Now it’s going to take nine months to 12 months to build the same reservoir, and it’s because that thing happened.”

Fraser’s remarks come amid ongoing discussions about the territory’s efforts to boost local agriculture. Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley recently announced that a contract has been signed for the design and construction management of the reservoir. He said the facility will be located on a hill in Paraquita Bay and serve the farming community there.

“This reservoir will be there for the use of the farmers,” Dr Wheatley explained. “We’re going to get all of the farmers to get some of those black tanks on their farms… At a certain day and a certain time, those tanks will be filled.”

The Premier noted that a proper agreement would be established between the government and each farmer, outlining their responsibility to use the land productively for commercial farming.

“We believe that the farmers should be able to get water within that 2.3 million gallons,” Dr Wheatley stated, referring to the daily supply provided by the water company under contract.

Some residents have expressed frustration over the timeline, with one caller pointing out that the reservoir was promised as far back as 2022. In response, Dr Wheatley said while some targets were missed, “we have a signed contract now, and contracts have stipulated timelines… I believe we can get that done.”

He added that the government would continue exploring interim solutions, including the use of existing wells and the installation of pumps.

The reservoir project is part of a broader push to reduce the territory’s dependence on imported food and improve agricultural resilience in the face of global uncertainties.