WAPA Sets Sept. 21 Date For Complete Power Restoration On St. Croix

Here’s WAPA’s latest update on power and water restoration territory-wide:

LECTRIC SYSTEM – ST. CROIX

• Six restoration crews are working today in the following areas of St. Croix: William’s Delight, Cotton Valley, Lowry Hill, Catherine’s Rest, Castle Coakley, Work & Rest, Beeston Hill, La Grange, Northside, La Vallee, Little Fountain, Rattan, Sion Farm, Constitution Hill, La Grande Princesse and Little Princesse Hill.
• A revised restoration schedule has been published for St. Croix. WAPA is striving for completion of restoration on St. Croix by the end of the day on September 21, 2017.The revised schedule is being published in local newspapers, it is also available on the WAPA website, www.viwapa.vi, along with daily updates on the restoration effort. 

POTABLE WATER SYSTEM – ST. CROIX

• St. Croix has storage of approximately 11 million gallons of water, a six-day supply.
• The Kingshill tank continues to gain storage.
• A second pump was added to the Contentment pump station on Tuesday, this will expedite the time it takes to fill the Kingshill storage tank.

ELECTRIC SYSTEM – ST. THOMAS ST. JOHN

• Restoration crews are today working near the VITEMA headquarters, Seven Seas Water Production Facility, Backstreet and Government Hill. A crew is also working near Petrus Plaza where a key WAPA System Operation Center is located.
•  Damage assessment teams continue to survey the extensive damage brought upon the transmission and distribution system. Once the assessment has been completed, a restoration schedule for the St. Thomas St. John district, including Water Island and Hassel Island will be developed and made public.
•  Fallen lineman, Jason Julius, was a 12-year employee with WAPA. He was 45 years of age and held the position of First-Class Lineman.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this most difficult time.

POTABLE WATER SYSTEM – ST. THOMAS ST. JOHN

• There are two days of emergency water storage in St. John and water is available throughout the Cruz Bay area.
•  There are three days of emergency water storage on St. Thomas. Service has been restored to all east end communities, east of Donoe.  These include: Tutu Hi Rise, Bovoni and Smith Bay. Water service has been restored in town districts from the airport to Havensight Mall.
•  Potable water customers at higher elevations may not have access to water service in some locations as not all pump stations have been re-energized with electricity.
•  The potable water standpipe in Subbase is operating 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Relative to St. John, FEMA, along with WAPA and the Mapp administration, are working on a temporary solution to supply power to St. John, using a generator. According to William Vogel, federal coordinating officer of FEMA Region II, it will be sometime before the generator is up and running based on a number of factors, including the territory’s terrain.