Gov’t seeking to lay pipes above ground
Government officials have been exploring the prospect of laying water and sewerage pipes above ground as they seek to arrive at a workable approach to addressing leakages that have been plaguing the territory for years.
Works Minister Kye Rymer gave that indication at a recent press conference while discussing some of the major challenges within his portfolio; including roads that were left dug up and unattended for some time.
“What we are also working on, too, is to see what can be done in terms of laying the pipes above the road. That is something that we are investigating because we know we have an age-old system, and we want to get some pipes where they can probably stand above ground so that, you know, in case of any leaks, it would be easier to repair,” Rymer said.
The minister said once roads are comprehensively paved, then there would no longer be an issue of having the roads dug up.
Minister Rymer also admitted that no government department is currently fully financed, suggesting that this may be one of the major hindrances in accomplishing some of the Public Works Department’s goals. The minister disclosed that only $12 million of a $55 million allocation from the territory’s annual budget was put towards development projects within his ministry.
He indicated that these funds have been put towards restoration works on the Ralph T. O’Neal Administration Complex and the national sewerage project, among other things.
“Within that budget, there’s not that much to get done and it brings some frustrations to the workers because they themselves want to go out there and make sure that the work is done,” Rymer said.
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Hell no!
To above ground pipe laying, are we in 1825 me thinks we need a new minister of communications, first the traffic turn around in Road Town then the shacks in the market now pipes above ground is this Soweto. Come on Man, we can do better that this.
In the 90’s the government brought in the pipe needed for the pipe line along the Ridge Road for water. Unfortunately it was stored in the open for almost three years on Road Reef, clearly marked “Do Not Expose To UV”. It was used and is one of the causes of the pipe breakage.
It was also unfortunate that WS and PW didn’t schedule together as the pipe trench had to be dug through the recently completed widening of the road!
If PW uses proper metal pipe and puts them in proper casements to protect from heavy loads like concrete trucks and excavators it will be fine; but that is one big IF with this government!!
As if the island was already enough of a wreak. There’s debris everywhere still, its absolutely embarrassing what tourists must think when they drive through the island.
How many thousands of municipalities are there that have been able to install underground water and sewerage lines that don’t leak? It’s doable, like most things, with proper planning to prevent poor performance. The article itself refers to dug up roads left open…what does that tell you about performance?
Above ground pipe might seem like a good idea until you consider issues of external corrosion and UV degradation. Additionally, accessibility is all well and good, but what happens when a vehicle crashes into the pipes?
Have you ever seen a busted water pipe? That’s a lot of pressure sending everything in the air!. Would the sewage pipe have the same kind of pressure too?
Boxed adjacent to the road as a sidewalk, underground, more durable pipes, and technology to check for leaks. What do you think Minister?
A native Virgin Islander to the Nth generation
Any thought given to corrosion and or UV damage? How would this over ground design handle crossing roadways? What about the risk of vehicles crashing into them and causing sewage and or water leakages that damage people’s homes?
Thousands of communities world wide manage to install underground water and sewerage lines that are functional and don’t leak. It’s a matter of proper planning to prevent poor performance. That the article refers to roads being dug up and left that way says it all.
What bull sht i am hearing
Pure @$$!$#ness
Widen the roads with a shoulder and install the pipes in it
Very disappointed that he would even consider laying pipes above ground. Our politicians are always seeking the east way out.
Put ah boi 2 do a man’s job , and everything is manifesting itself , live and direct / now the amount of years they were laid and earthquakes and if they were properly laid can be a factor in that scenario ?
MR Minister while you are thinking which I doubt that is what you are doing you should also think about hiring qualify people to help staff the department. There is not one engineer working at W&S Department. What a shame.
I think it’s about time to legally register as a 3rd world country cause ntn here makes no sense. Our infrastructure is in shambles. What started wrong will continue wrong if we don’t take sensible action. Just look at the nonsense market we are doing
Well finally someone come up with a solution to save cost and the road network. However, you have to use heavy cast-iron pipes instead of this soft plastic that keep on causing problems. Most or the Caribbean use these pipes
So rather than finding a way to stop the system from leaking all the time the solution is to move the pipes above ground to make them easier to fix. brilliant!
this is the height of bullfookery
Kye Rymer. You just showed us again you are not ready for this job. When we are thinking about everything should be underground you want to bring whats underground to the surface that’s backward thinking instead of trying to improve the system, you don’t have any high standard for the BVI.
wrong picture those are pipelines for oil.
IF HURRICANE IRMA CAN KICK AND TWIST HEAVY METAL WHAT ABOUT A PIECE OF LONG TUBE LINE? WHEN WILL WE EVER LEARN.
SINCE MOTHER ENGLAND BECAME A THIRD WORLD IN THE EYES OF EU THE CHILDREN BECOMES AUTOMATICALLY THIRD WORLD. JUST HOW COLONIZATION PLAYS DOWN.
In 500BC the Romans built underground sewers of stone, clay and lead pipes, in Victoria London an earthernware pipe was fully functional at 500ft of pressure for 2,000 years. They were not the first, in 2200BC the Minoans laid terracotta sewage pipes. Fast forward 4,222 years and PWD is saying they cant do it?
The BVI been a third world country… nothing new.
Who in government laying pipe?
This is the most stupid thing a minister can say to the public….
Ancient days are over chief…get a grip of yourself and get professional advice.
How about we design a proper underground water distribution system and work on it area by area until the leaks are to a minimum… it would also be a good project to include electricity and fiber cables as well and we get all of those services underground as well you know like how real countries do it.
Go check. Find out who the chief infrastructural officer in the ministry is and therein lies the problem. Before him check who was advising the ministry. It was not engineers at the department. Dig deep deep.
No!!! WTF… NO!
There are no engineers? where are they?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDPE_pipe
Water Pipes MUST, be installed underground with Compacted Material above and Thrust Blocks at turns, otherwise Water Hammer will cause the pipe to move and eventually Break.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_hammer
Many resorts within the VI already successfully use HDPE.
These people have no clue about the water and sewerage utility business. It’s the blind leading the blind. They need to use suitable materials in the ground. They keep hiring people with HR degrees to manage our utilities. It is not rocket science, successful utilities hire engineers.