Efforts continue to safely repair the fault in the underground section of Feeder 13, impacting customers in the St. Thomas-St. John district, the V.I. Water and Power Authority announced Thursday.
Due to a severe weather forecast, including a flash flood warning and significant lightning activity, WAPA temporarily halted the restoration work late Wednesday afternoon to ensure the safety of personnel and contractors. The extreme weather conditions present heightened risks that prevent safe access and repair efforts in the underground infrastructure, according to the press release.
Unlike overhead power lines that can be seen on poles, underground feeders are hidden from view, making them less vulnerable to weather conditions and accidental damage. They deliver power safely and efficiently without cluttering the landscape with wires. Though underground infrastructure has many benefits, locating and accessing underground feeders for maintenance or repairs is often difficult and time-consuming. Additionally, these systems are more susceptible to flooding and degradation over time due to soil conditions, moisture, and temperature fluctuations, leading to complicated repairs, the press release stated.
Despite the current challenges, crews have located the fault between Moe’s on Waterfront and the overhead riser by Jarvis Annex in Charlotte Amalie. Since the initial trip of Feeder 13 on Tuesday at approximately 5:00 p.m., crews have been diligently working to isolate and test the cables to find the exact location of the cause. As weather conditions allow a safe work environment, efforts to repair the fault will resume, the release stated.
For information on the active rotational outage schedule and/or other general updates on restoration efforts, please sign up for WAPA Alerts here.
Additional updates will be provided regularly via the WAPA alerts system, the website, radio and Government Access Channel public service announcements, and social media channels, according to the release.
