REMARKS BY HONOURABLE KYE M. RYMER

MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKS

SIGNING OF CONTRACT - LONG SWAMP PUMP STATION

27^TH JUNE 2023

As Minister of Communications and Works, this is indeed a great occasion to be here at this contract signing ceremony to kick start the major works associated with the East End Long Look Sewerage project.  The signing of this contract signals the clear intent by the Government of the Virgin Islands to complete the East End Long Look Sewerage project. 

I would like to offer my congratulations to Mr. Patrick Mitchell of Bio-Safe Treatment and Septic Solutions and his team for being awarded the contract for the Construction of Inspection Chamber, Wet Wells and Procurement and Installation of Pumps and Mechanical Components for the Long Swamp Pump Station in the amount of $511,786.97. 

The Long Swamp Pump Station once constructed and commissioned, will serve as the central system for the collection of influent to then be pumped to the Paraquita Bay Waste Water Treatment Plant for tertiary treatment.  I know much has been said about the progress of works on the East End Long Look Sewerage project, but a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes to get us to this signing ceremony today in terms of completing the designs and tender documents.

We encountered some significant delays during the tender process as this particular project was issued for tender in July 2022,  however several challenges arose during the initial procurement process where the initial set of bids were deemed non-responsive, which resulted in the reissuance of the tender document for retendering of the project.  Notwithstanding those delays, we are at this current juncture where we can now move forward expeditiously to engage Mr. Mitchell and his team to get this critical leg of the project completed.

The scope of works that will be undertaken by Bio-Safe Treatment and Septic Solutions for the Long Swamp Pump Station are as follows:

1. Installation of Client supplied concrete wet well segments including lifting into place the wet wells and sealing the segments when fitted into place.
2. Excavation works for the wet well and inspection chamber including all shoring works for the placement of the wet well structure to a base depth of 26 feet
3. Construction of concrete reinforced inspection chamber of dimensions 22 feet by 13 feet
4. Procurement, installation and commissioning of triplex pump system with electrical panels including all plumbing and electrical works
5. Procurement and installation of piping system including all mechanical components
6. Provision of fencing, gates, generator
7. Construction of generator base and electrical panel housing

As the Minister responsible for our sewerage network, I am constantly bombarded with questions of when would the decades old issue of sewerage in East End and Long Look area be addressed.  Today I am happy that we can get this major component of the project signed and I am also pleased that in short order we should be back to sign another major contract for the repair of the Paraquita Bay Waste Water Treatment Plant and the construction of a Sludge Treatment facility.

Further, we are anticipating that the tender for the Parham Town to Long Swamp gravity and pumping lines and manhole installations will be out for tender in a few weeks.  We are also anticipating the signing of another contract for the procurement of man holes and wet wells, hopefully in July as well.  I once again want to assure the public that a lot of work has been done and is being done. You will soon see actual works on the ground as we kick off the major works for this critical project.  Based on all project projections and barring any unforeseen issues, we expect that the commissioning of the East End Long Look sewerage network will take place in 2024.  We ask in advance that the public will be patient as we deliver this critical project and we apologize in advance for any inconveniences that may be caused during the course of these works and the upcoming works to come.

Once again I offer my congratulations to Patrick Mitchell of Bio-Safe Treatment and Septic Solutions and may God continue to bless our beautiful Virgin Islands.