💧 Water and Power · U.S. Virgin Islands
WAPA said materials sent to BVI after 2017 storms were authority-owned
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority said on March 11, 2020, that materials shipped to the British Virgin Islands after Hurricanes Irma and Maria were owned by WAPA and were not FEMA-owned supplies intended solely for U.S. Virgin Islands restoration.
Executive Director Lawrence J. Kupfer said the BVI had made an emergency request for poles, pole hardware and wire for its damaged distribution system. He said WAPA had determined that the materials sent were authority property, even if they were eligible for later FEMA reimbursement.
Kupfer said FEMA's reimbursement process required WAPA to buy materials and services upfront and seek repayment afterward. He also said exchanges or purchases of materials between utilities were a common industry practice, and noted that utilities also provide personnel to support restoration work.