Traffic Lights Are Starting To Work Again As WAPA Restores Power; Latest Update Released

Working traffic lights are critical to the safety of motorists in the USVI, and WAPA has made repairing damage to the lights caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria a priority. Above, recently repaired traffic lights in Basin Triangle, Christiansted.

Below, WAPA’s latest power and potable water restoration update.

ELECTRIC SYSTEM

• Electrical service was restored to portions of Cruz Bay, St. John on Friday afternoon following weeks of reconstruction of primary circuits in the downtown area. Service restoration extended from portions of Cruz Bay to just before the Myrah Keating Smith Health Center.
• Additional manpower, equipment and supplies arrived in the territory over the last two days to augment the restoration efforts. There are now more than 500 off- island linemen equally divided between both districts assisting WAPA line department personnel and on-island contractors with restoring service to our customers.
• On St. Thomas Friday, portions of Estate Altona, Lindbergh Bay and Fort Mylner were restored. Primary circuits were energized on a portion of Feeder 9D from the Nadir intersection to the Boschulte Middle School and from the same intersection toward WAPA’s east end electrical substation in Nazareth. Reconstruction crews completed work on primary circuits on Crown Mountain Road and will now reconstruct circuits through Estates Pearl and Santa Maria to Blackpoint Hill. Over the next few days, crews will also work on primary circuits extending north from the Crown and Hawk intersection to WGOD radio. On Saturday, crews will plant additional poles on Feeder 7A and 8A in the Subbase area and on Feeder 10B from Havensight through Estate Bakkeroe toward Bolongo Bay. Also on Saturday, crews will continue working on Donoe Road and in Smith Bay near Lindqvist Beach.
• On St. Croix, work has commenced on Feeder 4A where poles were planted and lines were strung in the Golden Rock area. Work continues to provide electrical service to the modular units at Luis Hospital. Additional poles and transformers were installed on Feeder 8B near Hannah’s Rest. Crews restored service to additional areas in downtown Christiansted on Feeder 1A including Queen and Prince Streets. Primary and secondary lines were secured on poles in Sunny Acres on Feeder 5A. Hotel on the Cay is slated to have service restored by this weekend or early next week.
• On Saturday, WAPA restoration and reconstruction crews on St. Croix will work in areas including: Queen Street, Golden Rock, Hannah’s Rest, Estates Whim, William’s Delight, Carlton and Frederiksted town. On St. Thomas, crews will work on: Crown Mountain Road toward Estates Pearl and Santa Maria, Frenchman’s Bay roadway, Donoe Road and Donoe Bypass and in Smith Bay near Lindqvist Beach. Motorists are asked to drive carefully through the work areas and adhere to directions provided by flaggers, military police and VIPD officers who are assisting with traffic control.
• WAPA reminds residents that it is necessary to shut off standby generators when line crews are in your neighborhood restoring electrical service. Standby generators have the potential to back feed electricity to the grid which   poses a severe safety risk to restoration crews.
• WAPA personnel has removed electrical meters at locations where damage was apparent to either an electrical meter base and/or weather head. Home and business owners are advised to make repairs to their damaged weather heads and/or meter bases as soon as possible. Once crews have reached your neighborhood, those customers who have not had their weather head or meter base repaired, will not have service immediately restored.

POTABLE WATER SYSTEM

• WAPA reminds the public that a precautionary boil water notice for potable water customers is in place territory-wide. Due to a drop in water pressure, as a precaution, we advise that all water used for drinking, cooking, making infant formula or juices, making ice, brushing teeth, washing fruits or vegetables and washing dishes, be boiled. Bringing water to a rolling boil and maintaining for one full minute is sufficient. Water must be adequately cooled before it can be used and should be stored in clean, covered containers. As an alternative, bottled water certified for sale by the Department of Health may be used.
• There are nine days of emergency water storage on St. John, ten days on St. Thomas and five days on St. Croix. In both districts, all potable water systems are operating normally.
• WAPA urges clean-up contractors and homeowners in both districts to exercise caution when piling debris on and around potable water meters. There are a growing number of instances where water meters are being damaged by clean-up equipment grading debris and causing damage to the roadside water meters. The continued damage by heavy equipment poses difficulty in maintaining or restoring potable water service to customers.

OTHER INFORMATION

• Emergency Call Centers operate 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., seven days a week.
• St. Thomas – St. John district, 340-774-1424; St. Croix district, 340-773-0150
• WAPA telephone contact: St. Thomas – St. John district, 340-774-3552; St. Croix district, 340-773-2250
• Customer Service Offices operate Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Sunny Isle on St. Croix and at Port of Sale Mall on St. Thomas
• WAPA website: www.viwapa.vi