Rymer outlines major upgrades after declaring water as ‘national priority’
The government has launched a 12-month action plan aimed at overhauling the Territory’s water system, which officials say has suffered from decades of underinvestment and neglect.
The move comes months after the government had declared water a national critical priority, allowing it to bypass provisions of the Procurement Act when purchasing materials needed to address the territory’s deteriorating water infrastructure.
Works Minister Kye Rymer said his ministry has moved from planning to implementation, with teams now engaged in major infrastructure works to reduce water loss, strengthen supply lines, and build a more reliable network across the Territory.
Operators Without Borders, an international technical support team, has completed its assessment of the water infrastructure and deployed specialists to assist with installing high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipelines along the Ridge Road.
Rymer said around 3,000 linear feet of HDPE pipe have already been installed between the Diamond Estate Pump Station and the Montessori School gap, with additional work teams on the way.
“This team will assist in conducting a comprehensive hydrology study and provide additional training in leak detection and repair techniques to strengthen the capacity of the Water and Sewerage Department,” Rymer stated. He added that the collaboration marks “another significant phase in modernising the Territory’s water network and ensuring the long-term reliability of our system.”
The Ministry of Communications and Works’ action plan focuses on five main areas: infrastructure and system upgrades, reservoir security and site accessibility, system monitoring and control, metering and network expansion, and asset mapping and system review.
Rymer acknowledged the scale of the challenge, noting that many parts of the water system have deteriorated beyond use. “The system we are rebuilding has suffered from decades of underinvestment and degradation. Replacing and modernising these critical components takes time due to procurement, shipping, and installation requirements,” he explained.
He said that of the 25 pressure-reducing valves currently installed, only 14 are operational, and of the 19 pump stations, just eight are functioning. “This underscores the scale of the challenge we face,” Rymer said. Orders have been placed for new parts, and installation will begin once they arrive.
The Minister further noted that leak detection work cannot fully proceed until the replacement components are received, as “leaks must be repaired immediately once identified to prevent further water loss.”
Meanwhile, the ministry is advancing work on reservoirs across the Territory to ensure they can efficiently store and distribute water once the upgrades are completed.
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water is worse now under kye, many areas go days without a drop of government water
Mr. Minister the only excuse we will accept for the state of the sea cows bay road for the past year is that you are going to replace the pipes before fixing the road. Please confirm that for us who have to use this road daily.
but they also need to burry the electrical and telephone cables making our infrastructure more resilient. That’s a great opportunity!
Maybe they going to bury all that when they bury the old man. They can asphalt over all of it then at the same time, and put some traffic lights up to mark the sacred spot.
Vote the right person into the poorly represented D3 and it will Happen quite quickly. They can also dig out all the dirt that was dumped into Sea Cows Bay.
Lol…
What the need to do is create a side walk on all roads that as multiple purposes. Under the sidewalk has all has drainage at the lowest point, then sewerage, room for future growth like natural gas lines to homes, electrical and some way removed from all that you have water secured. The side walk has removable slabs to access the infrastructure….How can we feel comfortable in 2025 knowing any access to the infrastructure for repair or installation means digging up road, patch work, road never look the same after, traffic disrupted for weeks….damn this third world!!!!
nothing new here.
Don’t be fooled folks. It is election season! They will be “fixing” as much as they can (in some cases in a rush and poorly) to show you they were working! Can I go to work from 9-5 and then start working between 4-5 to show I was working all day??! No, so why accept this from the VIP? They failed us and we should fire them just like we would fire an employee working for 1 hour but getting paid for 8. And then the employee got a hefty raise during that time. VIP must go!
do not worry. we are very much woke.
Another failed project by the biggest failure of a Minister, I remember all the talk about making Water & Sewage a Statutory Body to solve the issues, passed the Act, did nothing, now going to merge it with BVIEC a body that is barely making it, but all this guy cares about is being called Minister, What a failure.
as old folks would say, water boiling for fish.
“Rymer acknowledged the scale of the challenge, noting that many parts of the water system have deteriorated beyond use. “The system we are rebuilding has suffered from decades of underinvestment and degradation.
He said that of the 25 pressure-reducing valves currently installed, only 14 are operational, and of the 19 pump stations, just eight are functioning. “This underscores the scale of the challenge we face,” Rymer said.”
NO, the “scale of the challenge” is a self-inflicted wound, caused by a government that can always find money for a “delegation” to travel to some obscure overseas conference or celebration, or to fund a festival, but lacks the discipline to set priorities that will properly serve the Territory’s citizens.
Roads – F++^++
Water distribution- F++++
Electricity – F+++
Telecommunications- E
Does he deserve another term and or ministry after all these years?
The Ministry of Drips is seeking a drip consultant engineer to advise us on dripping water for a fee
$90,999,00
His consultant cousin?
Up to now no water meters or pipes in Rogues Bay or Cooten Bay. When is this area going to be looked at?