💧 Water and Power · U.S. Virgin Islands
WAPA board approved East End substation expansion contract and re-elected Anthony D. Thomas as chairman
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority board on August 10, 2020, authorized a contract with Haugland Virgin Islands for new switchgear and related equipment as part of the second phase of restoration and expansion of the East End Electrical Substation on St. Thomas.
WAPA said the federally funded contract was capped at $1.1 million. The authority said the substation, which was damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017, had been rebuilt with a poured-concrete structure and expanded to include communications space and a work area for engineers and other personnel.
Board members were told commissioning work was underway, including a tie-in to the Tutu substation and the energizing of some portions of the facility. WAPA said testing was expected to continue and the substation was expected to become functional by the end of August 2020.
The board also approved a no-cost, four-month extension for RG Engineering to complete a transformer replacement project on St. John, moving the completion date to January 31, 2021. WAPA said the project had been delayed by COVID-19-related challenges.
At the meeting, the board re-elected Anthony D. Thomas as chairman, elected Jed John Hope as vice chairman, and re-elected Juanita Young as secretary.