Potholes or pipes? Water issue more urgent than bad roads
Third District Representative Julian Fraser has called on the Minister of Works to swiftly address the local water shortage, adding that the issue is more important than the roadways that also need to be upgraded.
Speaking in the House of Assembly recently, Fraser said Works Minister Kye Rymer should press the Premier for more resources to address water challenges as the issue has persisted in the community too long.
Although water shortage and deplorable roads pose great challenges, Fraser drew a comparison between the two issues to prove his point that the lack of reliable water supply affects people worse than bad roads do.
“People are complaining about potholes – I believe more people would prefer to drop in a pothole and take a bath when they get home than to drop in a pothole and not be able to take a bath when they get home,” Fraser stated. “I think the water issue is more critical. I cannot understand how people could live without water. How do you go home, turn the valve on and there’s no water? How do you survive?”
Fraser also told Minister Rymer not to be offended by calls to address the water challenges because he was elected to do this tough task.
“Minister, you might take it personally, but I don’t think you should. It’s a job you asked for, begged for, you ran for this job. Another man was looking for this job but you ran so hard that you beat him. So now you have to fix the problem,” Fraser said to Minister Rymer.
Residents have been struggling with frequent water lock offs for years now. The government also struggles to collect enough revenue from water supply and, as such, earns less money than the water it supplies yearly.
Recently, Minister Rymer said old infrastructure is one of the main issues affecting water supply in the territory.
The Minister also declared the government’s intention to hire a private company to redo the territory’s entire water distribution network.
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Yes Fraser, he begged for the job so he has to get it done and stop crying about it.
why not both
Mr Frazer,
congrats on the fix on the bottom of the elevator this proves that a good fix can last.
But we must insist that the pipes are done first before fixing the roads as it would be counter productive to do in any other order. Whilst fixing all this they can also raise the man hole covers to the road level and not cover them with tar mac which is dug up every time there is an inspection.
If they are truly going to replace all the pipes then we can expect a 100% repaired road when they finish.
IT a simple fix. We have welders. Take off the manhole covers. Weld 4 pieces of metal to the old manhole to raise it to the new height and put on back the same old covers. very simple fix.
The better question should be: $1M in a festival or better infrastructure.
Priorities, priorities, priorities.
Can you fill the holes temporarily. I cannot bathe with a broken foot.
This will forever be a problem if they keep employing clueless people. How do you fix roads before you repair the water lines only to dig them backup?
The VI has a myriad of problems/challenges but cannot tackle them all at once but it must have a prioritization plan. The VI Achilles heel is it has no codified national development/prioritization plan. It does everything from the seat of its pants. Water is life and it must be a top national priority, ie, it is required for body functions, domestic, commercial and industrial use, etc.,It is critical and vital for economic growth and development. My thing is asking nuff Socratic???, so here we go.
1. What is the territory’s water master plan, if any ?
2.,Does the BVI have a water production or distribution problem or both?
3. If it has a distribution problem, why ?
4. Was it smart to produce water but then lack the means to run the pipes to distribute it?
5. Is the BVI paying for water it cannot distribute? Is this maximizing limited resource efficiency?
6. Is the water and sewage department well -organized and structured?
7. Is the water and sewage Dept Well-operated? Are the water processes centralize or decentralized ? Is decentralizing hurting its efficiency and effectiveness?
8. Should the water and sewage department be led by an engineer? Has the practice of assigning non-engineers to lead it, hurt it?
9.should water and sewage be a statutory body or remain a dysfunctional, ineffective department?
10. Can the water and sewage be self-sustaining?
11. Would customers be able to afford the rates for it to be self-sustainable??
12. Should the rest of government continue to subsidize its operations?
13. Is the huge subsidies by the rest of government(ie, $21M of $26M in 2022) sustainable?
14. Should water and sewage department be outsourced but not privatized? If so, how much in-house capacity and capability should be retained?
15. Have the supposed problems inherent to BI-water gone away? Or the fuss was primarily political? Did the contract buy out by Seven seas quell all the concerns? And if so why? Was self-interest and politics a factor(s)?
16. When is the Build-Operate-Turnover plant and water production operations as a part of BIWater agreement be turnover to government? And is Government ready to assume the operation ? And if no why not?
17. Does government have a water testing lab? How does government test the quality of water showing up at the faucets?
18. How does government notify customers when tests show unsafe qualities??
Well, those are some of my annoying questions for now. And no I’m not looking for a job or contract? I’m just a damn a$$ who likes to ask questions, questions and more questions I’m a drug but not the Frig….
Major road projects should be coordinated with the telecommunications companies, BVIEC, Water and Sewage, Drainage,etc., so that any needed upgrade or repair projects can be planned. Entities should be assessed a cost when a road is cut into; the work can either be done by the entity consistent with Public Works specs or done by Public work and cost billed to entity. Maximum completion time should be given for completing repair after work is completed. Moreover, every time a road is cutted into, the road structure is weakened and lifecycle shortened. Potholes do occur on roads but it does not take nuclear physics or biochemistry to fix them. It is not that complicated. Public Works should have several trained pothole repair crews. All it takes is a truck, some shovels, picks, tamping bars., traffic alert and control signs, a hot mix material, etc. .. But first the hole is cleaned out, saw cut and square cut as needed ( hole needs to be squared up) and then “drop and roll.”
@Manjack, repairing potholes cannot be that simple. If it is, I ‘m mad and disappointed as hell. Who is going to reimburse me for my increase vehicle damage and repair cost. Mr. JH, what manjack outlined seems rather simple, is it not? Or you don’t know and too proud to take advice ? Additionally, a thumbs up to coordinating with major stakeholders when Public Works is planning major road projects. What is the cost or course of action when an entity(s) cut a road and did not finish the road repair in the allotted ? Indeed, when a road is cut, its integrity and life is impacted. As such, the responsible party should be assess a cost based on the age of the road to bring it up to its design life condition.
@Socrates, you seem to have a good handle on the deplorable water situation in the BVI with the provocative and probing questions.