Private company to redo BVI’s entire water infrastructure
The government has declared its intention to hire a private company to redo the territory’s entire water distribution network.
This is because the Water & Sewerage Department (WSD) has been faced with a dearth of persons to effectively man its emergency response teams whenever there are water main breaks, pipeline leaks, or other incidents that may cause disruptions to water supply in the territory.
Works Minister, Kye Rymer, made the disclosure yesterday as he lauded the entity for its efforts at keeping up with the issues facing residents across the BVI.
Rymer explained that while the longstanding problem of water supply in the territory has been partially addressed through partnerships with operators like Seven Seas, the underlying issue of aging and deteriorating infrastructure has been largely neglected.
He further noted that the devastation caused by the 2017 hurricanes further exacerbated the situation. Now faced with what the minister describe as a ‘dwindling budget’, the WSD’s ability to cope with the mounting challenges has been severely hampered.
Previously, the WSD was able to draw on the resources of four teams which it had on standby to address emergencies. But due to various factors, Rymer said the WSD is now down to a single team which actually has to address all the outages and breakages facing the territory.
Tender notice to be publicised
Faced with this reality and the understanding that the department “couldn’t get a different result by doing the same thing”, Rymer said the government has now resorted to sending out an Expression of Interest (EOI) for a private partner to redo the entire water infrastructure of the territory.
“That is something that we knew… from years back but we were always, you know, I guess the priority wasn’t there at the time,” Rymer said. “But now we know that we need to get it done and we are working to get that tender out so we can have this company, whomever, to come in and redo our infrastructure.”
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One can only wonder who’s company will get this contract…
It’s a shame we didn’t invest in good infrastructure and high quality training of locals from the billions of government revenue paid in since the 1980s. Our government wasted it instead.
It’s also a shame we didn’t accept the UK loan guarantee for $400m after Irma; instead of moaning about Irma 6 years on, with our infrastructure still terrible.
Our infrastructure was terrible before Irma too.
Does this means more bad roads coming
Here goes our hard working tax money now ♂️♂️♂️♂️♂️
When fowlcock geh teeth
Watch how many new expert BVI water companies start up overnight. More bad roads and corruption coming and things will stay the same, but more money will be gone.
They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions…
Some pesky questions, since a project of this magnitude is likely to run in the tens of millions.
1. Estimated costs?
2. Source of funding?
3. Where are the design specifications?
4. Will the contrtact include performace bonds? Provisions for liquidated damages?
5. What will be the required cotractor specifications?
6. What is the anticipated contract duration?
7. Who will manage the contract?
The language of the article suggests a sole source contract, drawn from a pool of four contractors on emergency standby. Sole sourcinmg has not worked out well here in the past. In fact, he is quoted as saying WSD “couldn’t get a different result by doing the same thing”,
Lastly, Mr. Rymer’s quote at the end of the article is a sad reflection on how the Territory’s government ignores the esential needs of its residents.. How is that water, without which we can’t live more than a few days, wasn’t a priority….?
Another racket can’t even get the Admin Complex finish. It is taking this Government longer to do repairs for an existing structure than when Lavity build the complex from scratch.
They are saying now that it will take another three years. Seven years in total . But this nonsense will continue to be as long as the UK Government continues to pussy foot and hold nobody accountable with serious charges.
It seems all they want to do is make the country look bad to take direct rule. Either way, the people who wants justice suffers. For rather than dealing with these people who time and time again will not follow the law and Govern properly. The people of this country have to wakeup and see the light.
How will we pay for it? An excellent concept, but .. . .?
I can lay pipe!
So instead of giving W&SD the money and have them retain the other teams and hire more staff y’all looking to skim more from the cow again. Carry on
After the COI it was 250k bathrooms, then a 250k non stop concert, now it is a ??? runway expansion and a ??? private company water contract. When will the fleecing of the public purse end while the ordinary citizens suffer.
for all the WSD employees coming soon! When is the auction for all the WSD property, vehicles, tools, inventory, etc.?
Return to the old ways. Collect water off your roof, store it in a cistern, pump it to a header tank.
We have a 24,000 gallon cistern. If we’re careful, that lasts. Works even when the power is off. No bill from WSD, either!
You all complained about the grants instead of demanding systems to facilitate equal & all inclusive pay outs for the next round. Universal income, business grants to give BVI entrepreneurs an advantage internationally.
Now they are going back to paving the streets with gold and spend up all the money on concerts, planes that don’t fly, huge monuments like walls… a few past examples. Everything except the people money will be spent on that is the definition of good governance.
Oh and they did invest in the people through many study abroad scholarships I’ll give them that. It deserves some credit.
No one can tear down or tarnish the multitudes of free scholarships given as they did the grants, we’d have to accept being insane as a culture at that point. We’re almost totally brainwashed.
…and major water shortages.
I am a born virgin islander who is a plumber, can I get a job at the water & sewage department? My contact is 1268 779 9695 am hardworking like my dad and is ready to work.
NO CONFIDENCE!
I find it puzzling that some of you are here complaining about this development. Some of you can never be pleased, and this is why you will never get more qualified people to contest election in this place…simply because you are a complaining population who can never be satisfied.
No smart person would put themselves in a position to have to answer to you because you could never be pleased, and all they will get for their efforts is nothing but headaches, criticism, and complaints. Always negative. It’s pitiful.
We all know the country’s infrastructure is in dire need of an upgrade. We complain about our water woos every day as well as our terrible roads . Yet when the government comes up with a plan to address one of those very important complaints some of you have a million questions.
What is wrong with some of you folks? Please have a seat. Just be happy the government if finally addressing the issue and hope it goes thru.
No government can ever win with some of you as you will NEVER be satisfied. You’re damned if you do and dammed if you don’t.
Instead of giving the department the extra finance it requires, and paying the existing staff to run the projects but add some more local young fellows who need work to the programme, you prefer to give it to a company? Which is it? Your cousin? We see through you minister for works so carry on. They should audit the Fleming street sewerage project. You all are a set of crooks and you sir are the biggest disappointment.
I hope the staff seeing this.
It’s better they do like Myron walwyn and empower some small contractors to re-pipe the island, in that case the institutional knowledge is retained and born BVI citizens would be the beneficiary of their great grand parents income tax money they worked hard and paid from blood sweat and tears.and the skill spin off or transfer will be generational.
The same staff that hook up homes to the water with out a meter?
Looks like the big project they were looking for to siphon off the money. GOD save us!
The building with its enormous atriums was never fit for purpose and will always have a mould issue. Knock it down, the prime land should be tourism related infrastructure. For $14mil we can get blocks (like the high school) built at Johnsons Ghut, Pasea etc finished within a year.
Private company to redo infrastructure then brace for water bill to be as high as electricity
The BVI seems to work on an entirely different set of standards than the rest of the world.
You have to hire someone because the guy there is not able to do the job? Can we at least get rid of the guys that are there and messed everything up in the first place??
If you spend money, then cut from somewhere to pay for it please!
Do not be sure about your cistern collection in the future. Global warming is here to stay and we need a solid backup during the longer dry spells.
Hahaha….I think I know that staff, boy he brave eh! Running pipes without WSD authority and charging people smh
Rather than getting the correct pipe, you are giving away our money to a private company.
It Was private companies did it before and the did not Know how to do the work so most of pipes was laid on rocks not bedded properly so that is WhatsApp causes most of the leas presently.private company bad idea the guys at Walter and sewage are best Men for the Know where everything is already digging undergrond in tortola is a very dangerous situation you have flow electricity and water and sewage pipelines burried in places where only the water and sewage guys Know because most of the guys in water and sewage presently hace more tan 25 years experience so if you want this to be done right the laying of these pipes lines well the water and sewage guys are the best man.word of advice
Surely Peline did not leave W&S in a mess.
She was such a good manager and organiser, and all her staff thought she was great.
If she had been elected, she could have appointed the Lincoln Tunnel as her special adviser, then they could both have applied their unique skills to ensure all the BVI issues could be solved.
Not to worry. The audit started. Perline spare no one.
Truth….
This is bull nonsense.
To get different results at fire, PWD, WSD, facilities you first have to fund the agencies but you guys funded family and friends instead. Go through your budget from 2019 and the public how much funds was provided to the agencies, and what it was used for and who spent it and do not forget to mention that your accounting team dipped in to agencies and spent to the disapproval of heads. The managers were and are still capable. You are a liar.
If we use that black welding pipe we will never see a other water problem on this island again yea it Going be expensive but it Going be worth it in the long run