Gov’t unveils water relief plan amid territory-wide crisis
The government is developing a temporary water incentive plan to support residents facing continued disruptions in water supply, Works Minister Kye Rymer announced during a press conference yesterday.
According to Rymer, the plan will provide essential resources and support to residents affected by the water supply issues. He added that the water incentive plan was developed “to help ease the burdens faced by households during this challenging time.”
The minister said details of the plan would be communicated later, but its goal is to provide short-term relief while the government advances broader water infrastructure upgrades.
The water crisis has become a pressing national concern, with communities across the territory experiencing frequent and prolonged water disruptions. Rymer listed affected areas including Sea Cows Bay, Baughers Bay, Road Town, Huntums Ghut, Purcell Estate, and outlying islands such as Anegada and Jost Van Dyke.
“Your constant cries for help have not gone unnoticed,” Rymer insisted. “We are committed to bringing about real and lasting change.”
The government has allocated $8 million from a $100 million loan facility to jumpstart water projects under a six-point plan. Among other priorities, the plan includes leak detection and repairs, reservoir upgrades, smart monitoring systems, and community engagement.
Rymer confirmed the government would use a special procurement approach to accelerate progress. “Cabinet has deemed water a critical issue, and hence we will be able to single-source. We’ll be able to use single-source procurement and restricted tendering,” he explained.
International assistance has also been enlisted. Operators Without Borders, a volunteer group of engineers, has been deployed to the territory and team member Mike Hewitt said they found “massive leakage” due to ageing pipes and pressure imbalances. He estimated water loss at around 80 per cent.
“You’re having to produce almost twice as much water as you need so that people can be served,” Hewitt stated. “If you can even get that down to 40 per cent in five years, and then 20 per cent after that, that’s a huge impact,” he added.
The government is inviting local contractors to register their interest in supporting the repairs.
Copyright 2025 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
$8,000,000 worth
Why would any contractor want to do this.
$20 Million owed to contractors!!
Remember unless you a musician you won’t get paid.
But, oh dear do we need it.
Any charitable contractors want to fix with out payment?
This crisis just came up and surprised the Minister. How is that? PEople of VI know we been in water crisis for over 20 years!
Our voted leaders can only think about the money to be made from an airport we dont need.
STILL We Wait for Water
They speak of plans, of points and plots,
While faucets cough and homes go hot.
In Sea Cows Bay the buckets line,
While ministers toast with Perrier and wine.
They say, “Your cries have not been missed,”
Yet every promise comes with a twist.
Eight million more—another fix,
Thrown at pipes that died in ’96.
They speak in loops, in tendered frauds,
While islanders bathe by praying to gods.
Still no pressure, still no flow,
Just photo ops where nothing grows.
Road Town reeks of dry decay,
But Rymer smiles the drought away.
A Jost Van Dyke child drinks with dread,
While grown men boast what they might have said.
The pipes are bones, the tanks are tombs,
The budget reeks of leaking rooms.
The leaks? “Historic”—so they claim,
Yet no one in power ever takes blame.
Engineers arrive, eyes wide with shock,
Eighty percent gone— Lawd what a crock?
But still they stall and still they spin,
Announce new wars they’ll never win.
“Smart monitors,” they croon again,
To track the loss of righteous rain.
But tech won’t flow through dust and rust,
And single-source won’t earn our trust.
No storm broke this. No quake. No tide.
Just layers of failure too thick to hide.
A nation dry. A truth unspoken.
A people’s back, long past broken.
So don’t give speeches. Don’t draft plans.
Just fix the water—for God’s sake man.
Or pack your seats, your padded grace,
And let someone thirsty take your place.
Musicians does not and have never made money or a living in the VI, foreign entertainers do. That is a fact.
Been a musician from age five and a professionally trained one from twenty one.
Been at it from childhood with R. Byrd, Vino Mar, M.and the Kings, Ed. and the Movements and a few others, and still looking for that illusive pay check money.
Funny in media where anyone one can post personal fictional thoughts as facts and truths today.
Please manage water distribution to remove all conflicting interests. Stop now from allowing individuals to turn on and turn off water distribution to communities at their whim, fancy and influenced interests.
80% how much Is the tax payer having to fork out a month to the supplier for 20% of supply .
YOU KNOW YOU AINT READY , WHY DON’T YOU STOP TRYING TO DECIEVE THE PEOPLE , THAT YOU SWORE TO SERVE WITH INTEGRITY , UOUR LACK OF PERFORMANCE HAS EXPOSED YOUR INCOMPETENCE / AND DON’T TRY TO BLAME IT ON THE WHITE BOYZ ( TEK YO LIKS LIKE A MAN – BOI
Hon Minister Rymer, there are no water lines in Rogues Bay? When will Government look into this and give us homeowners a break from having to pay water trucks every month to full our cisterns?????
Thank God for the little rain sometimes.
I believe the headline should be corrected to:
“Gov’t unveils water relief plan to have a plan amid territory-wide crisis”
I remember the talkshow hosts came together some years back explaining why the Biwater deal was no good. The explained that all that was needed was for the infrastructure to be upgraded and repaired where needed. Water production was not the issue.
They pleaded, they begged, they even tried staging a protest in Paraquita Bay to no avail.
The then VIP administration with the pushing by the then district 3 rep were hell bent on having them come in and even shut all the other working water-plants down. The then district 3 rep even blamed NDP after saying that they should have fixed the infrastructure.
“voting has consequences”
Fix the leaking water tanks first, then work your way down to distribution
water leaks needed to wash the sewage leakage into the sea
@rhymer: this so call Canadian company work with their sister company and politicians who will get a monthly pay and campaign finance usually go to Caribbean islands and report gloom and doom about water scarcity, and the the politicians harvest the problem or situation so they can propose the solutions and get the people screaming for it. Usually they recommend privatization of the water crisis and monetize it, mysterious unknown companies will be recommended to provide water with a connection to politicians who will be paid monthly and special campaign finance donations.it is been happening in all the independent Caribbean islands, since the politicians want independence they have linked up with Caribbean thieving dictator politicians to learn the art of embezzlement. It’s is so embarrassing to see literate men and women we elected are been infantilized, having to let someone come to the BVI and tell them the reservoir is leaking, soon from now these companies is going to come in and tell our moomoo politicians that water isn’t really wet.