💧 Water and Power · U.S. Virgin Islands
WAPA removed waterline components in Estate Strawberry Hill for lead testing and replacement
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority said it completed exploratory digging in the Estate Strawberry Hill area of St. Croix on November 2, 2023, as part of work tied to elevated lead levels in some areas.
WAPA said several components of an existing water pipeline were removed for lead testing, and a new service line with lead-free components was installed.
The authority said it planned additional testing after the replacement work to determine whether lead levels had fallen below the action level or become undetectable. It described the work in Strawberry Hill as the start of a pilot program to replace aging water service lines in areas where high lead levels had been identified.
WAPA said it planned to expand the program to other neighborhoods with elevated lead presence in the water supply and was working with contractors, government agencies and the Office of the Governor on the effort.
The release also said the Virgin Islands Department of Health had hotlines for health concerns related to lead in potable water at 340-712-6299 and 340-776-1519, available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Department of Planning and Natural Resources listed a sampling concerns hotline at 340-514-3666 during the same hours.
The Department of Health said lead exposure testing was available at Clinical Laboratory Inc. at Sunny Isle Medical Center on St. Croix and at St. Thomas East End Medical Center at Tutu Park Mall on St. Thomas.