Stop Mentioning Failed BiWater Deal
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has urged politicians and the public to stop rehashing the failed BiWater project, calling references to the deal politically exhausted and a distraction from urgent infrastructure work. Speaking during debate on the Virgin Islands Energy and Water Corporation Bill, 2026, he said the territory’s main problems are ageing transmission lines, leaking distribution systems and inadequate storage — not water production.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has told politicians and residents it is time to move on from the long-running BiWater controversy and focus on fixing the territory’s water and sewage infrastructure. Speaking during debate on the Virgin Islands Energy and Water Corporation Bill, 2026, Dr Wheatley said repeated references to BiWater and related political rows were unhelpful.
He dismissed further discussion as politically exhausted, saying, “Whoever squeezed whatever political juice out of that — there’s not a drop left. We done wring out that BiWater, Adrian White thing. We need to forget about that now.” The comment came after Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn raised the BiWater matter during his contribution to the debate.
The BiWater project began with a 2010 build‑own‑operate‑transfer (BOOT) agreement under the then Virgin Islands Party administration, intended to improve water production, storage and sewage infrastructure on Tortola. The deal later became mired in controversy and legal disputes; BiWater’s local operations were eventually sold to Seven Seas Water, a move that remains politically contested.
While BiWater has frequently been blamed for ongoing water problems, Dr Wheatley argued the issue has been over‑politicised. He expressed sympathy for former Communications and Works Minister Julian Fraser, who championed the BiWater initiative, suggesting Fraser took serious steps to tackle a longstanding challenge but was not given enough time to complete the work.
The Premier stressed that production was not the territory’s core problem; rather, ageing transmission lines, leaking distribution networks and inadequate storage capacity have compounded supply issues. Dr Wheatley also criticised past governments for failing to make strategic investments, saying the lack of maintenance and upgrading left current administrations with compounded problems.
He called on residents and politicians to look forward and support planned reforms that he says will deliver practical solutions. The Virgin Islands Energy and Water Corporation Bill, 2026 proposes to modernise management of water, sewage and electricity by placing them under a single statutory body.
The Premier said this structural reform, combined with targeted infrastructure investment, offers a real opportunity to reduce outages, improve storage and distribution, and finally address chronic utility challenges that affect everyday life in the BVI. As debate continues, the government says its priority is clear: move beyond old controversies and invest in the systems that keep water flowing and sewage safely managed for households and businesses across the territory.
Primary source: BVI News