Open to tender | CGB sewerage project moves one step closer to reality

The Cane Garden Bay sewerage project has moved one step closer to becoming a reality.

The much-talked-about project is now open for tender and will remain open until 10 am on October 1.

“The Government of the Virgin Islands invites all tenders for the procurement of works for Lot 2 – procurement and installation of the sewer network system in Cane Garden Bay,” a public tender notice posted on the Government’s website said.

The scope of works consists of the demolition and removal of 35 lift stations. The contract will be funded through the government, the notice added.

We can reject all bids if we want to

In the meantime, the public tender notice came with a disclaimer to all interested bidders.

The notice said: “The Government of the Virgin Islands/ Ministry of Finance, reserves the right to accept or reject the right to accept or reject any bid or annul the process at any time prior to the award of any contract without thereby incurring any liability to the affected prospective bidder(s) or any obligation to inform the affected prospective bidder (s) on the grounds for Government/Ministry of Finance action.”

The disclaimer also informed that government will not defray any costs incurred by any bidder in the preparation of bids.

Interested persons willing to bid on this project should be addressed to the Chairman of the Central Tenders Board in the Ministry of Finance.

The Sewerage Project

In May of this year, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Works Jeremy Hodge told BVI News the initial $1.6 million sewerage project has been put back on the proverbial drawing board. 

According to Hodge, the project was pushed to accommodate a number of changes after government hired FDL Consultants to manage the project last year. 

“Instead of looking at a 10 to a 20-year solution, we are looking more futuristically in terms of a 30-year sustainable design for the area; taking all the different sectors into consideration,” Hodge explained at the time. 

The deputy secretary, however, said plans are now back in its final stages to get off the ground. 

“We have now received the final documentation in terms of designs and tender documents for that project, and that information is now with the Ministry of Finance,” Hodge said. 

The new sewerage plan will see larger pumps that could be controlled electronically and be managed using smart devices. 

Hodge said the cost of the project has increased. However, he did not know the new figure. He was also unable to give a timeframe when work is scheduled to kick off. 

However, the new sewerage plant to be constructed in the community is designed for the same location as the current plant.

History of the project

The long-standing sewerage issue in Cane Garden Bay is mainly due to the outdated, 20-year-old plant being used to treat 35 lifts stations (also called pump stations) and a large number of growing households and businesses.