Critical Pump Stations never constructed—Hon Vanterpool
Minister for Communications and Works, Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool (R4), gave the damning disclosure, when the House of Assembly (HoA) met on Thursday July 19, 2018, last and he was asked to provide an update on the Territory’s water supply systems.
Not Feasible
He was at the time responding to Third District Representative, Honourable Julian Fraser RA, who in a question—tabled in the HoA and—directed to Hon Vanterpool, asked, “could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House, the whereabouts of the pumps he reported would be installed in the vicinity of Foncy’s, and the Racetrack over a year ago.”
Hon Vanterpool told the members, “…the installation of a pump station was dependent on the completion of the installation of the pump stations in Long Trench and Diamond Estate.”
He said, “as this part of the project is not completed, then it would not have been feasible to install the pump station in this.”
Blames BVIEC
Asked to provide an update on the works still required for the Long Trench and Diamond Estate Pump Station, Hon Vanterpool—at this point—essentially threw the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC), under the proverbial ‘bus.’
He told members of the HoA, “the upgrade to the electrical supply at Diamond is not completed, but it is pending action by the BVI Electricity Corporation.”
This, after telling members of the HoA at its November 13, 2017, sitting that his Ministry was committed to ensuring a 24 hour supply of water, to all customers of the territory, and had said too the upgrades to the electrical supply at Diamond, “was in progress at the time.”
As it relates to the installation of a Pump Station at Long Trench—which he also said was in progress at the time, in November last—Hon Vanterpool has now disclosed, while the pumps have been procured, a revised contract for the construction of the pump house is about to be awarded.
He conceded “…no, the pump house was not constructed…A contractor is to be named shortly.”
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