80% of water lost before reaching taps- Operators Without Borders
Mr Mike Hewitt, Owner of Almaquin Enterprises and Operator Without Borders team member, revealed that the amount of water lost is around 80 per cent, during a press conference on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
He explained that there is always leakage within any system, even those that are properly managed, which is labelled as non-revenue. This built-in non-revenue leakage accounts for flushing of systems and firefighting, and ideally, that non-revenue leakage should be between 1o to 15 per cent.
Gov’t committed to fixing this problem
Hon Kye M. Rymer (R5), Minister for Communications and Works, said the government is committed to fixing the VI’s water issues head-on to provide reliability in the water supply.
The rate of water loss is alarming he said.
“A significant amount of water produced is lost before reaching your taps due to the leaking pipelines and ageing systems.”
According to Hon Rymer, this water loss is a direct contributor to the water issues many residents experience.
“We know that leaks along the roads persist for weeks, causing frustration and uncertainty about when relief will come,” the minister admitted.
He also said it has been found that repairing one leak can lead to another along the same line, further complicating the problem.
No easy fix- Hon Rymer
“I want to emphasise that repairs for such infrastructural water issues are no easy fix. Many times, the reasons for water disruptions, such as burst pipes, may seem trivial or even silly to the public; however, these are indeed the little fixes that create bigger problems.”
Hon Rymer said he is solution-minded and reiterated that residents and Virgin Islanders deserve better.
“You are getting better. We are committed to eventually fixing all of the water issues in the territory to enable a reliable and consistent flow of water to households and businesses daily.”
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