Bryan gives holiday message, says St. Croix water surveillance testing has begun

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. used a Government House briefing on December 18, 2023, to deliver a holiday message and provide an update on St. Croix water testing.

At the briefing, St. Croix Police Chief Sean Santos said police planned traffic and parking enforcement around Festival Village in Frederiksted during the 2024 Crucian Christmas Festival, including restrictions on double parking and parking on sidewalks. He also said a mobile police command station would be placed at the village and warned against celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve.

Bryan said a final round of surveillance testing had begun on St. Croix’s water distribution system. He said the Department of Planning and Natural Resources and the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority had started collecting samples from additional sites and were seeking volunteers to allow tap-water sampling in homes that met WAPA requirements.

Bryan said the state of emergency on St. Croix would not be extended if the results confirmed the most recent EPA findings and showed lead and copper levels were non-detectable or below the agency’s action level.

He also said WAPA had begun issuing bill credits to water customers in affected areas to help offset costs tied to flushing lines.

Bryan said he had met with members of the 35th Legislature over the weekend of December 16-17, 2023, to discuss territorial priorities and financial challenges. He said government cash flow had slowed and that vendor payments were behind, while the administration continued paying retroactive wages, income tax refunds and restoring the 8% salary reduction for government employees.

The briefing also included recognition of eight Virgin Islands students who attended the Jobs for America’s Graduates National Student Leadership Academy in Washington and of Chevell Simeon of Charlotte Amalie High School, who was named St. Thomas-St. John District Teacher of the Year.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-ushers-in-holiday-season-provides-st-croix-water-updates/