Breaking

The lineman count in the USVI will climb to over 800 by mid-December, as the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority receives more workers to meet its goal of restoration 90 percent of the territory by Christmas. Below, find the latest update.

ELECTRIC SYSTEM

More than 700 off-island linemen are in the territory assisting WAPA with the restoration of electric service, and by mid-December another 100 are expected. Over the weekend, and on Monday, some customers in the following areas were energized:

- On St. Croix: Catherine’s Rest, Campo Rico, South Slob, Southgate, Strawberry Hill, Lagoon Street, Hannah’s Rest, Humbug, Whim, William’s Delight, Mount Pleasant, Sion Farm and Peter’s Rest;

- On St. Thomas: Bonne Resolution, Caret Bay, Contant, Frenchman’s Bay and Bakkeroe, Frenchtown, Frydenhoj, Old Tutu, Mariendahl, Ridge Road, Upper John Dunkoe and Wintberg;

- On St. John: Fish Bay and Chocolate Hole. Sections of Coral Bay may be energized by the weekend.
On Tuesday, the Valdemar Hill Sr. Drive, “Skyline Drive” on St. Thomas, will be closed to vehicular traffic from 8:30-11:30 a.m., and again from 1-4 p.m., as crews perform reconstruction work and debris removal. The road closure will be in effect from the intersection of Louisenhoj Castle to the Donoe Bypass. Area residents will be allowed to access their homes during the road closure. Alternate routes are available for motorists who must traverse the area. Additionally, traffic flow may be restricted to one-lane at times on both Mafolie Hill and the Subbase road from The Sea Chest to Doctor’s Choice Pharmacy as work continues in those areas.
Crews will focus this week on reconstruction and restoration in the following areas:

- On St. Croix: Strawberry, Barren Spot, Mount Washington, All For The Better, Catherine’s Rest, William’s Delight, Campo Rico, Calquahoun, Annaly Farms, Mount Welcome, Sandy Point, Green Cay, Estate Mahogany, Judith’s Fancy and Mon Bijou.
- On St. Thomas: Crown Bay near Tropical Shipping & Crowley, Skyline Drive, Mafolie, Mountain Top, St. Peter Mountain Road, Crown Mountain, Scott Free, Caret Bay West, Brass View, Hull Bay, Anna’s Retreat and Frydenhoj.
- On St. John, Coral Bay, Fish Bay and Chocolate Hole.
WAPA, along with its contractors, have begun to install streetlights along major highways and thoroughfares in the territory as those areas are being energized.
Customers are reminded that homes with temporary roofs (blue roofs) will be restored with electrical service once a licensed electrician has certified, in writing, that the structure is safe to energize.
If work needs to be done to repair a damaged meter base and/or weather head, customers must call the Emergency Call Center at 340-774-1424 on St. Thomas-St. John or 340-773-0150 on St. Croix. The call centers operate seven days a week, 9 am – 5 pm.

If your electric meter was removed by WAPA personnel to facilitate repairs to either a meter base and/or weather head, once repairs are completed and a licensed electrician certifies the work, in writing, customers are required to notify the Customer Service office. All fees usually associated with meter removal and reconnection have been waived during this restoration period. Customer service offices operate Monday-Friday, 9 am – 4 pm at Sunny Isle on St. Croix and Port of Sale Mall on St. Thomas.

Reconstruction, restoration and hurricane debris removal crews are deployed across the islands. Motorists are asked to exercise caution when driving through the work areas and to heed the directions of flaggers and VIPD officers who are assisting with traffic control.

Residents are reminded of the need to shut off standby generators when line crews are in your neighborhood restoring electrical service. A standby generator has the potential to back feed electricity to the grid which poses a severe safety risk to restoration crews.

POTABLE WATER SYSTEM

There are five days of emergency water storage on St. John, eight days on St. Thomas, and five days on St. Croix.
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

WAPA telephone contact: St. Thomas – St. John district, 340-774-3552; St. Croix district, 340-773-2250.

Customer Service Offices operate Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Sunny Isle on St. Croix and at Port of Sale Mall on St. Thomas.

The latest information on the restoration effort is available on the WAPA website, www.viwapa.vi and on Facebook: Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority.