Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool today, January 24, 2013 confirmed that cabinet has made a decision that would allow for the forward movement of the Biwater project at Paraquita Bay. Photo:VINO

Managing Director Mr. Richard F. Smith explains the desalination process to take place at the Biwater plant at Paraquita Bay. Photo: VINO

Biwater is optimistic it will get the nudge from Government to source water from the sea to make the company operable this year. It said while it is more than sixty percent complete on the water side of the project, the remaining forty percent is totally dependent on Cabinet's approval. Photo: VINO

In a brief interview today, January 24, 2013 while at the launch of his Ministry's two day retreat, Mr. Vanterpool told Virgin Islands News Online that cabinet has agreed to have Biwater source water through a pond at Paraquita Bay. The water intake project, he said, would not affect the mangroves there.

"We are about to give them that permission to let them go through with their next stage of planning for getting their water intake and that is the latest stage of development we have for Biwater at the moment," said Hon. Vanterpool.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of BiWater Mr Richard F. Smith confirmed the latest development. He told Virgin Islands News Online that they received the letter to that effect today, January 24, 2013. "We are happy, this is what we have been waiting for, to move on to the next stage." 

Mr Smith said that it is now for the planning department to do their part following which BiWater is ready to start the next phase of the project.

Biwater was optimistic that they would have gotten the nudge from Government to source water from the sea to make the company operable this year. It had said that once given that green light and one other legal aspect was completed, it would take approximately eight months to have the plant one hundred percent operational.

He had said that while they were more than sixty percent complete on the water side of the project, the remaining forty percent is totally dependent on Cabinet's approval.

See previous story posted January 12, 2013

Biwater optimistic of govt approval to source water from sea

- says Cabinet to meet next week to make decision

PARAQUITA BAY, Tortola, VI – Biwater is optimistic it will get the nudge from Government to source water from the sea to make the company operable this year. Once given the green light and one other legal aspect is completed, Biwater Managing Director Mr. Richard F. Smith said it would take approximately eight months to have the plant one hundred percent operational. 

He said that while they are more than sixty percent complete on the water side of the project, the remaining forty percent is totally dependent on Cabinet's approval, ".... which is very imminent, they are meeting next week to make a decision on that," said Mr. Smith, who also told Virgin Islands News Online that the water plant facility was visited yesterday January 10, 2012 by Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark H. Vanterpool and team.

The visit was said to have been organised to accommodate a firsthand tour to show the progress made so far. "This is 25 million dollars worth of work...This is entirely our cash and we are looking at once the cabinet approval has been granted to give the final push to complete the water side of the project and then to begin the sewage aspect," Mr Smith said.

At the initial stage of the project it was agreed upon that water would have been sourced from wells to meet the supply needs of the project. However, this failed after extensive studies on the viability of that aspect. "We could have found water but it wasn't of sufficient supply volume to meet the demand," said Mr Smith, who said they then chose to look at alternative sites.

Several site locations were examined including at Brandy Wine Bay. "But again even on the beach it was insufficient water."

He made it clear that under the water purchase agreement, Bi-Water is entitled to an intake. "It doesn't have to be well also it could be sea intake. So we, at that moment choose to abandon the well field and go for a reliable source," said Smith.

He further explained, “We have to be in eight metres of water at the lowest tide level and out at one hundred and eighty metres off-shore, the reason for that is because we are conscience of the shipping channel which at Paraquita Bay and Brandy Wine Bay both are insufficient.”

The shift from a well source of water to that of the sea source has put an additional dent in the pocket of Biwater of over $2.5M. “that was at our own risk,” said Mr. Smith, “but it was money well spent for the reliability for the source for the future.”

On, February 18, 2010, BiWater, signed a Build, Own, Operate, Transfer (BOOT) contract with Government for a sea-water desalination plant. The plant will produce 2.3 million imperial gallons of potable water per day, has a construction value of US$43 million and a subsequent 16 year operation and maintenance period.