The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority would like to address the districtwide power outage that occurred in the late morning yesterday from approximately 11:30 a.m. to 8:10 p.m. on the island of St. Croix and the ongoing water service interruption. At approximately 11:30 a.m. yesterday, St. Croix experienced an islandwide outage triggered by an unexpected fault involving the leased generation from Aggreko at the Richmond Plant. Our plant team—alongside Aggreko technicians—immediately began troubleshooting to safely restore service.
Unfortunately, this event set off a series of cascading equipment issues. This is not a normal or common occurrence for the plant, and the extensive scope of the damage was not immediately apparent, and was only identified following deeper investigation.
By 4 p.m., WAPA Plant personnel believed they had identified the final set of equipment affected by the initial fault. Within the next hour, however, they discovered additional components that had been stressed and also required repair or replacement. Teams worked continuously to isolate the fault, repair damaged equipment, and restart generation.
Some customers experienced intermittent power during these efforts as the fault repeatedly tripped operating units. Crews continued testing and correcting issues as quickly and safely as possible.
At 8:10 p.m., restoration started with priority customers and remaining impacted customers were restored by 9:15 p.m.
Because of the extended outage, water production was also affected. Customers may experience low to no water pressure throughout today.
- Christiansted and Mid-Island: Water service is expected to return by mid-day.
- Frederiksted: Due to recent significant leaks that depleted inventory over the last two weeks, restoration will take longer. Water Maintenance crews and contractors are working this morning to restore service as quickly as possible.
We understand how disruptive outages of this length are and appreciate the patience of our customers as our teams worked through an uncommonly, complex situation.
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Communication’s department is committed to reaching, informing, and connecting with the youngest members of the community to the eldest, through meaningful, transparent and effective communication.
