WAPA Resumes St. Croix Water Production; Pressure Recovery to Be Gradual as Boil Advisory Remains

ST. CROIX — Water production has resumed at WAPA’s Richmond reverse-osmosis facility following repairs to a ruptured Christiansted wastewater force main and subsequent water-quality testing, but the authority says normal water pressure will return gradually across St. Croix and the island-wide boil-water advisory remains in effect. The V.I. Water and Power Authority announced late Sunday that conditions at the Richmond intake were suitable for production to restart after the V.I. Waste Management Authority repaired the damaged force main Sunday morning and water-quality testing was completed. WAPA had suspended reverse-osmosis production at Richmond as a precaution following the wastewater infrastructure failure. Water storage levels at the facility have already begun recovering, according to the authority, and customers closest to Richmond are expected to experience improvements in pressure first. Full service, however, will not return immediately. WAPA said it is deliberately lim...