Bring In Help To Fix Water Crisis-Skelton Cline

Successive Virgin Islands Party (VIP) and National Democratic Party (NDP) governments have failed to resolve the Territory’s water problems over more than 20 years, prompting calls for the BVI to seek technical assistance from overseas, including China.

Political commentator Claude Skelton Cline made the argument on his radio programme this week as residents continue to experience prolonged water interruptions across the Territory.

“We’re not getting this thing handled,” Skelton Cline declared, calling on the current Government to retain an experienced entity capable of overhauling the water and sewerage systems.

“You have to go and find an entity, some persons, somewhere that you’re going to retain their services to come in here. Y’all listen to me. We’re not getting this thing handled. Go to China, if you have to. I don’t care where you go,” he said.

Skelton Cline explained that the BVI needs people with the technical expertise to address weaknesses at the infrastructure and systemic levels.

However, he insisted that bringing in outside specialists must not result in Virgin Islanders losing their jobs.

“We need persons at the infrastructure level, at a systemic level, with the requisite skill sets where we can woman and man the place alongside our people, ’cause there must be no loss of employment by our people,” he stated.

According to Skelton Cline, the external specialists should work alongside local employees and establish continuous training mechanisms before gradually transferring responsibility to Virgin Islanders.

“For the singular purpose of the ongoing training, mechanisms that need to be in place, and then a fade away of those persons from the outside where our people can take over a proper system, a more efficient system,” he explained.

Had decades to address the problem

The commentator also revisited the controversial BiWater agreement, which was initiated under a VIP administration and later amended and commissioned under the NDP Government. BiWater’s BVI operations were subsequently acquired by Seven Seas Water.

Skelton Cline reminded residents that the contract runs until 2030 and costs the Territory approximately $1.2 million monthly for the production of 2.3 million gallons of water per day.

“That contract we had with BiWater, and who’s now Seven Seas, that contract ends in 2030. We’ve been paying some $1.2 million a month for 2.3 million gallons of water a day, which they haven’t produced, which we don’t need, which we don’t have the hydraulic facilities for,” he alleged.

He also claimed that the Government is responsible for electricity and water costs under the agreement.

“Do you know that with a contract that was negotiated under the NDP Government, we’re paying in that contract? We pay for the electricity, we pay for the water and the contract. The Government, we, the people, the Government, we pay that,” he stated.

Skelton Cline argued that both major political parties must accept responsibility for decisions that contributed to the present crisis.

“That contract was amended and commissioned under the NDP Government. It started with the VIP Government,” he said.

He reminded that, the VIP administration at the time of becoming embroiled in a dispute with the BVI Investment Club and taking control of the Baughers Bay water plant. He also blamed the former NDP Government for closing the Sea Cows Bay plant.

“These people were in charge. They didn’t do it then, they didn’t corrected then, didn’t cure then. They took from our local people and gave the outsiders,” Skelton Cline stated.

“Now we’ve been paying out the teeth, the tooth, the nail, the mouth, the gum, and you still can’t take a bath.”

He rejected attempts by former officeholders to place sole responsibility on the current administration, arguing that they had decades to address the problem.

“The rest of y’all had it for some 20-something years. And now all of a sudden some new light bulb goes on, some revelation?” he questioned.

Skelton Cline said the failures of previous and current elected representatives have influenced his position that former officeholders should not return to the House of Assembly and that those presently serving should leave.

The BVI continues to grapple with an ageing distribution network, leaking pipes, inadequate storage and interruptions that have left some communities without a reliable supply for days and, in some cases, weeks.

The Government is now moving to combine the Water and Sewerage Department with the BVI Electricity Corporation under Virgin Islands Energy and Water Corporation, known as VIEWCo. The restructuring is intended to improve the management and delivery of the Territory’s electricity and water services.