ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ASKED BY
THE THIRD DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE TO
THE HONOURABLE MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKS
AT THE SECOND SITTING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE THIRD
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
13^TH OCTOBER, 2016

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:

a) exactly what his Ministry and Department does with the sludge from the sewage treatment plant at Burt Point? and

b) what quantities are produced weekly?

Answer 1

Madam Speaker, The sludge collected from the Sewerage Treatment Plant at Burt Point is transported to a site at Paraquita Bay; this specially designed site was developed to allow for the drying of the sludge after which it is to be mixed into normal excavated top soil and placed into available landfills.

The Facility sits on a parcel of land with a footprint of approximately 1 acre and currently includes the following features:

• 7 Drying beds measuring 12ft x 60ft. (Facility has capacity to hold a total of 12 drying beds)
• An underground leaching system of French drains
• A collection basin for “leachate” or moisture removed from sludge
• A blending area for mixing post-processed sludge with top soil

1. An average of 45 cubic yards of sludge is produced weekly

Question 2

Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please provide this Honourable House with:

a) the monthly bills exactly as submitted by Bi-Water to Water and Sewerage from the first month of production to the date the plant was sold? and

b) the monthly bills exactly as submitted by Seven Seas, (the new owners) to Water and Sewerage from the first month of production after the purchase to August 31st 2016?

Answer 2 a)

Madam Speaker, to be correct the Biwater plant was not sold; Aqua Ventures Water Cooperation purchased 100% of the Share Capital of Biwater (BVI) Holdings Limited a UK company, which was renamed to Aqua Ventures (BVI) Holdings Limited and who remained the owner of Biwater BVI Limited.

Madam Speaker, Biwater BVI Limited was recently renamed to Seven Seas Water (BVI) Ltd.The monthly bills received by the Water and Sewerage Department from Biwater, from the first month of production November 30, 2014 to the end of August 2015 is hereby submitted as requested. (Appendix A)

Answer 2 b)

Madam Speaker, the monthly bills received by the Water and Sewerage Department fromSeven Seas Water from September 2015 to present at Paraquita Bay Plant are hereby submitted as requested.(Appendix B)

Question 3

Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House the total quantity of water purchased on Tortola from the water plants at Capoons Bay, Paraquita Bay, and Bar Bay for the period January 1st 2016 to August 31st 2016, together with that portion supplied by the Baughers Bay Plant during the same period.

Answer 3

Madam Speaker, the quantity of water purchased from each of the following water production plants on Tortola during the period January 1 to August 2016 are as follows;

Capoons Bay Plant – Thirty-Four Million, Four Hundred Twenty-Seven Thousand, Ninety-Four (34,427,094) gallons;

Paraquita Bay Plant – Three Hundred Eighty Million, Four Hundred Fifty-Eight Thousand, Six Hundred Eighty (380,458,680) gallons;

Bar Bay Plant – Ninety Million Eight Hundred Thirty-Two Thousand (90,832,000) gallons;

Madam Speaker, the quantity of water supplied by the Baugher’s Bay Plant was One Hundred Six Million, Six Hundred Ninety-Eight Thousand (106,698,000) gallons.

Question 4

Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House the cost to government for the quantity of water given in question 3 above?

Answer 4

Madam Speaker, during the period of January 1, to August 31, 2016 the Government paidto each of the following water production companies the sums as follows for water produced;

GE Water / Aqua Designs – One Million One Hundred Fifteen Thousand, Eight Hundred Eighty-Nine Dollars and Eighty-One Cents ($1,115,889.81)

Bi-Water – Nine Million, Five Hundred Eighty-Nine Thousand, Two Hundred Seventy-Nine Dollars and Thirty-Six Cents ($9,589,279.36)

Ocean Conversion – Two Million, Three Hundred Forty-Four Thousand, Five Hundred Eighty-Five Dollars and Fourteen Cents ($2,344,585.14)

Madam Speaker, the sum ofSix Hundred Seventy-One Thousand, Seven Hundred Forty-Four Dollars and Fifty Cents ($671,744.50)was paid to Sage Utilities Holdings for the management and production of water at the Baugher’s Bay Plant and according to the management agreement.

Question 5

Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House how much government collected for the sale of the quantity of water given in question 3 above?

Answer 5

Madam Speaker, during the period of January 1 to August 31, 2016 the government collected a total of One Million, Six Hundred Fifty-Nine Thousand Three Hundred Eighty-Seven Dollars and Ninety-Nine Cents ($1,659,387.99) for water sold.

Question 6

Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House why, at the last sitting of this Honourable House, he said they currently had 67 leased spaces at Tortola Pier Park, when he had earlier reported that there were 70?

Answer 6

Madam Speaker, there are over 70 leasing opportunities at the Pier Park.The number 70 may be changed if a combination of two spaces is leased to one Tenant.

Question 7

Madam Speaker, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House whether the Pier Park is behind in its projected revenues, since the projections according to the Investment Prospectus of 2014 boasted revenues of $2,219,924 for 2016, and so far, after eight months into 2016 less than half (939,244.43) has been collected, representing a shortfall of $1,280,679.57 to be made up in four months?

Answer 7

Madam Speaker, based on the current leases the total expected income for 2016 would be One Million Four Hundred Fifty-Five Thousand Four Hundred Ninety-Seven Dollars and Seventy-Five Cents ($1,455,497.75), and the 2017 projections also based on lease agreements are expected to be Two Million Two Hundred Fifty-Six Thousand Nine Hundred Five Dollars and Seventy-Two Cents ($2,256,905.72).

Madam Speaker, one of the major spaces that were in the projections, refers to building #5, for which negations and discussions are ongoing.

Madam Speaker,some of differencesin projections and actuals, were largely due to delays in the completion of some buildings and the subsequent handover to tenants for outfitting and ultimately collecting lease revenue.