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The water problem is truthfully affecting a large sector of STT !!!! - many of the restaurants and stores Downtown , in Frenchtown, Sub-base, and Havensight have been suffering without much water for weeks - it has cost many people a lot of money, both owners and workers!! - as businesses cannot wash dishes, use bathrooms, and function normally. The sewage system has even clogged up in places as there is not enough water to allow it to operate - absolutely an unacceptable situation.
It presents a real third world impression to visitors when they see bathrooms closed, paper products being used because dishes and glasses can't be cleaned and washed - and all the associated cleanliness issues that are caused by NO Water !!
Really this should be reported nationally - it has been a disaster for way too many people both in business and in their households - I have been in STT over 35 years and have never seen a problem as bad as this - and to blindly accept it as 'Wapa problems' is ridiculous - luckily there has been no disease epidemic yet but really it is a small step to that happening under the circumstances - I have never been one to rail at the VI problems but the ability to supply clean water seems very basic and solvable - what happened to the 5 water generating barges the US sent down after Marilyn - they left them to rot! - Our VI National Guard is sent to Iraq and Afghanistan as water production experts - for the Governor to not step in and get some expert help here shows a total lack of leadership.
So ends my rant - of course most of us live off cisterns --- but the homes and businesses that rely on Wapa water really do have a problem that negatively affects a large portion of STT.
Posted : December 29, 2011 4:46 pm
I feel so horrible for those small business owners who have waited all summer for the season to kick in, only to get kicked in the teeth by WAPA.
How long do you think it will be before the cruise lines start warning passengers of the situation before they decide whether to disembark? Maybe they are already warning them? The last thing they want is a bunch of passengers returning to the boat and complaining to them about the conditions. Very sad and scary.
Posted : December 29, 2011 9:29 pm
This article from today's STT Source offers a comprehensive update:
http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2011/12/28/st-thomas-water-woes-continue-end-sight
Posted : December 29, 2011 9:34 pm
I feel so horrible for those small business owners who have waited all summer for the season to kick in, only to get kicked in the teeth by WAPA.
How long do you think it will be before the cruise lines start warning passengers of the situation before they decide whether to disembark? Maybe they are already warning them? The last thing they want is a bunch of passengers returning to the boat and complaining to them about the conditions. Very sad and scary.
So true. What about all the folks up in the projects. Not the best conditions, and now...no water....
Posted : December 29, 2011 11:32 pm
"Cutting off service to all of STT". This sentence sounds like the entire island was without water and is misleading and a disservice to us. Most visitors reading this do not realize that only a small portion of the population gets it's water from WAPA. I understand the problem and the frustration felt by those affected, but making it sound worse than it is doens't help.
Posted : December 29, 2011 11:33 pm
The truth hurts.
Posted : December 29, 2011 11:40 pm
"Cutting off service to all of STT". This sentence sounds like the entire island was without water and is misleading and a disservice to us.
Umm, maybe my eyes are going bad, can you please cite the post that you are quoting, because I don't see it in this thread. I read the entire thread a number of times, but, again, maybe I missed it. If so, I apologize.
Most visitors reading this do not realize that only a small portion of the population gets it's water from WAPA. I understand the problem and the frustration felt by those affected, but making it sound worse than it is doens't help.
Sure, but most visitors are not visiting private homes with cisterns, especially those who come via cruise ship. I am on STX, but it sure sounds as bad as it could possibly be in STT right now by the articles in the paper and the talk on the radio.
Posted : December 29, 2011 11:42 pm
"Cutting off service to all of STT". This sentence sounds like the entire island was without water and is misleading and a disservice to us.
Umm, maybe my eyes are going bad, can you please cite the post that you are quoting, because I don't see it in this thread. I read the entire thread a number of times, but, again, maybe I missed it. If so, I apologize
Please see OldTart's post above. First paragraph in the article in the STT Source.
Swan
Posted : December 29, 2011 11:52 pm
making it sound worse than it is doens't help.
Making it sound better than it is, dosen't help either.
The first step to solving a problem. is admitting you have a problem.
Posted : December 29, 2011 11:52 pm
First paragraph in the VI Source article.
After cutting off water service to all of St. Thomas all day Wednesday to build up water storage and pressure, the V.I. Water and Power Authority will try Thursday to get some water to all parts of the system on a rotating basis, according to WAPA officials.
Posted : December 30, 2011 8:45 am
It would have been better if the first sentence had read, "After cutting off water service to the areas of St Thomas whose water is supplied by WAPA ..." but even that probably wouldn't help much. As evidenced by several respondents to this thread alone, many people simply don't read beyond the first sentence or headline before jumping in with opinions based on insufficient information.
Posted : December 30, 2011 11:11 am
"After cutting off water service to the areas of St Thomas whose water is supplied by WAPA ..."
Don't get me wrong, but isn't that implied? I mean: aren't people smart enough to know it's WAPA supplied water that was all cut off? Clearly people know that cistern using homes / businesses were unaffected...
Just noticing people are smarter than one gives them credit. And yes, from what I skimmed in the VITA alerts, all water was cut off. The "WAPA supplied water" was implied since that's the only supplied water on island (I don't count cistern as "supplied water").
Posted : December 30, 2011 11:54 am
Most off-islanders would assume that WAPA provided ALL the water, not just a small percentage.
Posted : December 30, 2011 12:37 pm
"After cutting off water service to the areas of St Thomas whose water is supplied by WAPA ..."
Don't get me wrong, but isn't that implied? I mean: aren't people smart enough to know it's WAPA supplied water that was all cut off? Clearly people know that cistern using homes / businesses were unaffected...
Obviously not. Several visitors have posted on forums and other sites asking about whether or not to cancel their upcoming visits or go to an island other than St Thomas. Perfectly understandable as LindaJ explained. How many areas on the mainland use water catchment cisterns such as are common here? People without access to potable piped water generally rely on wells, not cisterns ...
Posted : December 30, 2011 1:36 pm
I thought that thee was a law requiring these business to have alternative water supply notably a cistern. If I were to depend on WAPA for water I would be screwed the many times they shut down or a pipe busts. I can't see why any prudent business owner wouldn't have a back up supply. Life just isn't that easy and to blame WAPA, I feel it's ludicrous. So many guys, including Home Depot, sell large cistern type tanks for emergencies. Hopefully businesses will wake up. A brand new nightclub in Port of Sale mall could not open because of no water? Give me a break. They should be blamed as well as the landlord! JMHO
Posted : December 30, 2011 2:19 pm
Topic starter
I totally respect the venerable RL and his island wisdom but I doubt there is a law requiring alternative water supply. Prudent design would seem to indicate such a measure but that hasn't been a watchword used very often in the last few decades of STT construction and remodeling in the business districts. --- In the same way of thinking why were all the hillside catchments that dot the landscape in any old STT photos allowed to become overgrown, disintegrated and useless? They could have supplied a good portion of alternative water in this emergency.
Posted : December 30, 2011 3:39 pm
I think the catchments are contaminated with asbestos. Whatever agency they fall under had a spokesperson on the radio a few weeks ago, and the question of the catchments came up. I'm pretty sure she said asbestos laden material had been used in their construction.
Posted : December 30, 2011 3:51 pm
Doubt that. I know the one up by me, people are drawing water all the time. One of my cohorts found there is an existing law for all buildings to have cisterns, no mattter where or what they are. It goes further to tell you the sized based on square footage of the roof.
PS That new nightclub did go to Home Depot and get two of those temporary cisterns. Good thinking on their part.
But who follows the law anyway?
Posted : December 30, 2011 8:58 pm
Hmm, maybe they aren't aware that the water may have contaminants? If we had a decent newspaper, there could be an investigation with published findings.
As governments everywhere cut back on services, people will hopefully become more self-sufficient.
Posted : December 30, 2011 9:35 pm
What do you expect?
WAPA does not care about its customers. They have talen lots of cash, fedd themselves well and now are saying that the plant needs to be replaced.
Of course that means that we will PAY!
No matter if it is water or electric WAPA nweeds to go! EVERYONE WHO IS MANAGER SHOULD BE FIRED!
START with a new team!!!!!
Posted : December 30, 2011 9:35 pm
There's a pretty decent update article in today's Daily News. Today's copy will be online later today at www.virginislandsdailynews.com.
Posted : December 30, 2011 9:55 pm
No water for the East again today, not even the promised two hour ration. Does anyone know if the Housing Authority is trucking water to Tutu? How many days have those folks up in projects been without water? The apartments have cistern or holding tank back-up...right???
Extreme differences in pressure and air pockets place even more stress on already stressed piping. Even I understand that, so WAPA's engineers are planning ahead...right....????
Posted : December 30, 2011 10:59 pm
No water for the East again today, not even the promised two hour ration. Does anyone know if the Housing Authority is trucking water to Tutu? How many days have those folks up in projects been without water? The apartments have cistern or holding tank back-up...right???
According to the schedule posted in today's Daily News there was no planned pumping today to Anna's Retreat, Bovoni or the Tutu housing community. Water was pumped yesterday to the Donoe water tank and, according to the latest update on their website, WAPA is continuing to pump water into that tank until it reaches the right level.
Posted : December 31, 2011 12:05 am
This is a better source for up to minute pumping schedule changes:
http://www.vialert.gov/Public/News/AlertView.aspx?notID=3270901&refer=&source=WEB&messageID=AghxO4T6A&
@tart you are wrong, pumping to the east was promised today (according to the daily news)
http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/wapa-sets-rotating-water-service-1.1250648#axzz1i47whEIo
So how many days with no running water in the projects?
Posted : December 31, 2011 12:43 am
@tart you are wrong, pumping to the east was promised today (according to the daily news)
http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/wapa-sets-rotating-water-service-1.1250648#axzz1i47whEIo
And with all due respect, you are linking the Daily News of December 29th. Today's Daily News updated the schedule, explained the problem with the Donoe tank, and WAPA's website which was listed in the article along with other contact information also has all the updated information in more detail. To the best of my knowledge there have been no days at the Tutu projects which have been entirely without water and this is based on a conversation yesterday standing in the line at the bank chatting with one of its residents.
I realize keeping abreast of current news is sometimes a difficult chore but it can be done and best to do so before firing salvos. Cheers!
Posted : December 31, 2011 2:34 am
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