Aerial shot of WAPA's Richmond Powerplant in Christiansted, St. Croix. By. ERNICE GILBERT, V.I. CONSORTIUM
On Thursday evening, Water and Power Authority CEO Karl Knight provided the latest update to residents on WAPA’s efforts to restore the territory’s power grid following the passage of tropical storm Ernesto.
He began by noting that WAPA employees bore an extra burden that day, with the funeral service of lineman apprentice Michael Edwards Jr. taking place on Thursday amidst the focus on restoration efforts. The 35-year old employee, who was shot to death in late July as part of an attempted robbery, was “much more valuable to this community than any single gold chain will ever be,” Mr. Knight declared. His parents, the WAPA CEO noted, also both work for the utility company, making Mr. Edwards’s murder resonate even more tragically within the organization.
Against this somber backdrop, crews on Thursday once again worked through the day, attempting to restore power to several feeders across the territory. As of Thursday evening, approximately 45% of the customer base on St. Thomas, and 43% of St. Croix had had their power restored. “Over on St. John, our crews are converging on the 891 customers still out,” Mr. Knight said, noting that the outages were mostly connected to the same feeder – 7E, which supplies the north and east side of the island as well as some of Cruz Bay.
Employees of Haugland VI, a company that became well known in the USVI after the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, came out to assist WAPA on St. Thomas, helping to get several feeders up and running.
Mr. Knight said that WAPA offices would open on Friday from 8 a.m. A dedicated call center has also been operationalized, which customers can reach on 715-8007. Mr. Knight urged customers to alert the call center only if their power has not returned after their feeder was brought back online. “If your feeder is out…there’s absolutely no need for you to call that number. We already know that your feeder is out,” Mr. Knight advised. “We are requesting calls from individuals who have had their feeders restored but they still have no power to their homes or businesses,” he said.
Those who wish to report emergency situations are also encouraged to call. “If there's a pole that is leaning dangerously, pole that's broken, obstructions in a roadway, then by all means, please call the call center.”
Mr. Knight promised more updates on Friday, and thanked customers for their patience, which he said would be required a little longer. “We are moving as quickly as we can and trying to do so as safely as we can,” the CEO remarked.
