💧 Water and Power · U.S. Virgin Islands
WAPA said St. Thomas water service was expected to be fully restored by April 8 night after main repair
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority said crews completed repairs on April 8, 2019, to a ruptured 24-inch water main along the St. Thomas waterfront bulkhead, allowing potable water service to begin returning to affected areas.
WAPA said workers excavated the damaged section of pipe early that morning, removed about 19 feet of cast-iron pipeline and replaced it with new piping. By mid-afternoon, crews had begun slowly recharging the water system and planned to flush the distribution system before restoring service in an effort to prevent discolored water from reaching customers.
The authority said underground electrical transmission cables running parallel to the damaged water line were de-energized before the repair work. WAPA said the electrical grid was reconfigured to bypass transmission lines connecting the Randolph Harley Power Plant to substations in Long Bay, Tutu and St. John, and that some customers experienced momentary service interruptions while the grid was adjusted.
WAPA said all affected customers were expected to have potable water service restored by the night of April 8, 2019.