💧 Water and Power · U.S. Virgin Islands
WAPA said St. Croix power was fully restored after Dorian, while repairs continued on St. Thomas and St. John
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority said on August 29, 2019, that electrical restoration work was continuing in the St. Thomas-St. John district after storm-related damage from Dorian, while St. Croix had returned to full electrical service the previous night.
WAPA said all electrical feeders in the St. Thomas-St. John district were either fully or partially energized on August 29 as more than six line crews worked on repairs across St. Thomas. The authority said work was continuing to fully energize Feeders 7A and 8A, and crews had begun addressing more than 50 isolated service interruptions reported around St. Thomas.
On St. John, WAPA said both feeders had been restored on August 29 and crews were addressing smaller pocket outages.
On St. Croix, WAPA said full electrical service was restored by 7:15 p.m. on August 28, about four hours after Tropical Storm Dorian passed the territory. The authority said crews began damage assessments at 4 p.m. and restored service after determining there was no impact to the island's electrical distribution system.
WAPA also said potable water service on St. Thomas was being restored after pump stations were re-energized. By the evening of August 29, all pump stations except two facilities in Savan were back online, according to the authority.
The Water Division issued a precautionary boil-water notice on August 29 for potable water customers in the St. Thomas-St. John district because of a drop in water pressure in parts of the distribution system. WAPA said customers should boil water used for drinking, cooking, infant formula, ice, brushing teeth, washing produce and washing dishes until bacteriological testing was completed.
The authority said the notice did not mean the water was contaminated, but that reduced pressure could allow contaminants to enter underground pipes.