CHRISTIANSTED — Governor Albert Bryan Jr issued the following statement today providing an update on the water quality situation in St. Croix and addressing the calls for the declaration of a State of Emergency:
“Over the past week, our government has been in close coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine the source of contamination affecting our water supply. Based on our collaborative efforts, we are now fairly confident that the source of lead and copper contamination is unlikely to have originated from the water supply provided by Seven Seas to the Water and Power Authority.
“As a result of this preliminary assessment, our administration has taken swift action. We conducted resampling in the identified areas of concern, collecting 74 samples over the weekend in addition to the 10 collected last week. These samples have been hand delivered by WAPA personnel to specialized laboratories in Puerto Rico and Florida. We anticipate receiving the initial results within the next 24 hours.
“We acknowledge the concerns raised by residents, and we appreciate the calls for a state of emergency from members of the 35th Legislature. It’s important to note that, with the information currently available, declaring a state of emergency will not empower the Government of the Virgin Islands to take any additional measures beyond the scope of our current response efforts.”
“For example, we have been monitoring bottled water prices since the start of the Atlantic Hurricane season as we do annually, we also continue to work very closely with our federal partners who are on the ground supporting us.”
“Rest assured that we are treating this situation with the utmost seriousness. Our teams are working tirelessly to pinpoint the exact source of contamination and recommend corrective actions. We are fully committed to ensuring the highest standards of water quality in St. Croix and the safety of our residents.”
“We will continue to provide updates and transparent information as this situation unfolds. Your well-being remains our primary concern, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this issue and restore the quality and safety of our water supply.”
Meanwhile, readers of the Virgin Islands Free Press wanted more answers from the government on this important health issue.
“It’s important to know how long the water has been contaminated!” David Jones said. “Not being able to identify the source, on an island this small, is disturbing…”
It’s important to know how long the water has been contaminated! Not being able to identify the source, on an island this small, is disturbing…