Julian Willock, who previously led the House of Assembly and served as director of the Water and Sewerage Department, has blamed the National Democratic Party's 2011-2019 administration for the British Virgin Islands' persistent water supply crisis.
Speaking on the Too Inquisitive podcast with Lawrence 'Bunchie' Kirton-Wheatley, Willock said the NDP government failed to honour commitments made under an agreement with Biwater, a water services operator. That deal, signed by the Virgin Islands Party in 2010, obliged the government to upgrade reservoirs, pipes and pumps across the territory.
"And unfortunately, they did not keep their part of the bargain," Willock said.
Willock defended Biwater's presence, saying it would have expanded capacity rather than replacing Ocean Conversion. The government had brought Biwater in under former Premier Ralph T O'Neal to tackle water shortages. When Seven Seas later took over Biwater's operations, then water minister Mark Vanterpool pursued changes to the agreement, citing potential savings of $4 million yearly.
Willock contended that the subsequent NDP leadership chose to remove Biwater instead of fixing the distribution system. The result, he argued, is that Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer now must tackle repairs that should have been completed long ago. "So that is a direct result of why we are in some of the situation we're in today," Willock stated.
On a potential merger between the Water and Sewerage Department and the BVI Electricity Corporation, Willock said he had not studied the proposal closely. He did believe, however, that the electricity company's billing and management practices could strengthen the department. A trial period of five to 10 years would help determine whether combining operations made sense.
"Let's ensure that whatever happens, that we get consistent supply of potable water and that our electricity can stay on when we need it most," Willock said.
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