ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ASKED BY
THE THIRD DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE TO
THE HONOURABLE MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKS
AT THE FIRST SITTING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE THIRD
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016
10:00 A.M.

The Leader of the Opposition and Member for the Third District to ask the Minister for Communications and Works the following questions:

Question 1

Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House whether the people of Sea Cows Bay, Pleasant Valley, Hannah's, Havers and Pockwood Pond are any closer to getting a regular supply of water than they were three months ago when I last asked about the water predicaments they face on a daily basis?

Answer 1

Madam Speaker, I am afraid to say that we are no closer to providing consistent water in this area than we were three months ago.

The answer to this question is dependent largely on the solution we are presenting in the answer to Question 2.

In addition, Madam Speaker, a new pump station will be installed in the Sea Cows Bay area in one of the following two areas: either on Albion Road (up past Fonzy) or Nibbs Road (up past the Horse Track area).

Madam Speaker, this will provide improved pressures to residents in the higher elevations.

This project is intended to be completed by the end of this year, at a cost of approximately ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00).

Question 2

Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please update this Honourable House on the status of the upgrade to the water distribution lines across the Ridge Road from the Sabbath Hill reservoir to the Hannah Hill reservoir?

Answer 2

Madam Speaker, I am disappointed to report to this Honorable House that we have not made sufficient progress in improving the Water Distribution Network in this area.

However, Madam Speaker, I am pleased to report the following action plan to achieve significant upgrade from about 250 gallons a minute to approximately 650 gallons per minute.

1. A project to purchase and install a new pump station at Long Trench costing approximately fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), is in progress. This includes the purchase of two pumps and a back-up generator. This project is expected to be completed by December of this year.
2. We intend to upgrade the Diamond pump station by replacing the existing pump, adding a back-up pump and installing a back-up generator.
3. We will be purchasing six combination valves costing approximately five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) each for a total of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000.00). This will allow us to supply water more consistently to Cane Garden Bay, Soldiers Hill, Round Hill, Meyers, Sage Mountain and surrounding areas.

Question 3

Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House

a) What the average daily water production at the BiWater plant in Paraquita Bay was for the period Jan. 1st 2016 to August 31st 2016? and

b) What were your daily average payment during that same period.

Answer 3 a)

Madam Speaker, the average daily water production, in imperial gallons, at the BiWater Plant in Paraquita Bay, for the months of January 2016 to August 2016, is as follows:

Answer 3 b)

Madam Speaker, the daily average payment during the period in question, January 2016 to August 2016, is as follows:

Question 4

Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House whether the BiWater plant in Paraquita Bay is producing water at its contracted rate of 2.3 million gallons a day?

Answer 4

Madam Speaker, based on the figures provided for Question 3 a), the answer to Question 4 is 'No'.

Question 5

Madam Speaker, can the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House whether the maintenance and operation of the Baughers Bay water plant is still contracted out to a private company?

Answer 5

Madam Speaker, the answer is 'Yes'.

Question 6

Madam Speaker, if the answer to Question 5 above is yes, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House:

a) The quantity of water produced each month for the period Jan. 1st 2016 to August 31st 2016?

b) The moneys paid to the company each month for the period Jan. 1st 2016 to August 31st 2016? And

Answer 6 a)

Madam Speaker, in answer to Question 6 a), the quantity of water produced each month for the period January 1st, 2016 to August 31st, 2016, is as follows:

Answer 6 b)

Madam Speaker, in answer to Question 6 b), the monies paid to the company each month for the period January 1st, 2016 to August 31st, 2016 are as follows:

Madam Speaker, the arrangement with Ocean Conversion is for a fixed monthly management fee of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), plus $2.50 per thousand imperial gallons.

The above figures represent this arrangement.

Question 7

Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please give this Honourable House a monthly breakdown on the Tortola Pier Park as follows:

a) The number of leased (occupied) spaces

b) The monthly rental for each of the spaces listed in (a

c) The rents collected for each of the spaces listed in (a above, since the date of occupancy.

Answer 7

1. Madam Speaker, we currently have sixty seven (67) leased spaces at Tortola Pier Park.

Madam Speaker, in answer to Questions 7 b) and 7 c), I now present a document to this Honourable House, outlining the monthly rental for each of the spaces.

The document reveals that so far Madam Speaker, Tortola Pier Park has billed one million, thirty-one thousand, four hundred and ninety dollars and fifty-seven cents ($1,031,490.57) and collected rents up to September 15th, 2016, of nine hundred and thirty-nine thousand, two hundred and forty-four dollars and forty-three cents ($939,244.43).