CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Virgin Islands Department of Human Services said that a broken 24’ WAPA water mainline on the waterfront affecting downtown St. Thomas has forced the DHS Knud Hansen Complex to be closed again today.
The lack of running water at its Hospital Ground facilities forced the shutdown of DHS’ main offices, and three Head Start Centers: Knud Hansen, Savan-Bergs Home, and Sugar Estate at 8:00 a.m. today, DHS Commissioner Kimberley Causey-Gomez said.
Classes for the Head Start Centers are expected to resume tomorrow, according to DHS Communications Director Ryan Nugent.
Due to the water outage the St. Thomas STRIVE Senior Recreational Center will also be temporarily
closed. Congregate Meals will be home-delivered to clients in the afternoon, according to Commissioner Causey-Gomez.
Please be advised, all appointments this afternoon have been cancelled and rescheduled, according to Nugent.
Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority customers on St. Thomas and St. Croix have been suffering water issues since the beginning of the week, which also forced some government offices to close.
On Monday, WAPA advised customers on the west end of St. Croix that several communities “continue to experience little to no water service due to storage issues at Kingshill and Mountain Tanks.”
For Human Services assistance, please contact the following division staff during this temporary interruption:
Division of Family Assistance: 340-772-7100 ext. 7159
Medicaid Division: 340-772-7100-ex.t 7114
Intake: 340-772-7119
Childcare: 340-772-7147
Adult Protective Services: 340-642-8820
Family Caregivers: 340-725-4963
Human Services said in a prepared statement that it “apologizes for any inconvenience these closings may cause.”
For additional information, please visit the Department of Human Services website,
www.dhs.gov.vi or on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/usvidhs) at U.S. Virgin Islands
Department of Human Services.
The Department of Human Services (VIDHS) exists to provide social services to members in our
community with diverse needs. In times of national uncertainty and hardship we act as a safety-net
and exist to inspire hope and empower change through non-judgmental, quality delivery of needed
services and resources.