Willock Urges Action On Water Crisis
Former Director of Water and Sewerage Julian Willock has urged leaders to end political blame games and fast-track solutions to resolve the territory's water crisis. Willock called for the opening of additional desalination plants and localized reservoirs to ensure consistent supply across the islands.
Former Director of the Water and Sewerage Department Julian Willock has addressed the territory's persistent water challenges, describing the unreliability of public supply as a vexing issue that requires immediate structural remedies rather than political finger-pointing. Speaking on JTV Channel 55’s The Big Story, Willock noted that he receives daily complaints from residents who continue to endure prolonged service disruptions across their communities.
Willock pushed back against criticisms from former legislators who have laid the blame entirely on the current administration. He explained that historical decisions dating back over a decade significantly disrupted long-term plans to overhaul the infrastructure. According to Willock, an earlier Virgin Islands Party initiative intended to stabilize the network was halted when the National Democratic Party took office in 2011, prolonging hardships for Virgin Islanders.
Reflecting on his past tenure leading the department when water was consistently provided, Willock outlined practical measures necessary to fix the grid. He argued that relying on a single plant in the eastern end to pump water across high-elevation routes like Ridge Road directly into aging main lines is unsustainable.
Instead, he recommended reopening desalination facilities in Sea Cows Bay and Baughers Bay while expanding reservoir capacity to decentralize and stabilize supply across Tortola. Willock acknowledged that Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Rymer is actively working to address the inherited problems using allocations from the territory's loan facility.
Ongoing initiatives include repairing existing reservoirs and exploring new water plant developments in District 3 and Baughers Bay. Nonetheless, Willock stressed that work must move faster, sharing that he had personally experienced a two-week water outage at his own residence. Calling on leaders across the political spectrum to work collaboratively, Willock reiterated that the Territory's water distribution woes are fully solvable.
He concluded that long-term engineering investments, modern pipelines, and strategic plant locations remain the only viable pathway to guaranteeing reliable running water for all residents.
Primary source: VINO