FEMA obligates additional $3.2B for infrastructure on STX

ST. CROIX — The Federal Emergency Management Agency trumpeted a $3.2 billion obligation on Monday toward rebuilding roads and the drinking water system on St. Croix as well as the replacement of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority’s metering infrastructure.

FEMA has committed $1.25 billion to replace the St. Croix potable water distribution system, providing the U.S. Virgin Islands with funding to replace pump stations, water tanks, piping and fire hydrants in Christiansted and Frederiksted. “The prudent replacement of St. Croix’s potable water distribution system paves a path for the transformation of this critical service to be approved to industry standards,” according to a FEMA press release issued on Monday.

Twin City residents have long complained of discolored, foul-smelling water. In October 2023, they were alarmed to hear that testing revealed high levels of lead and copper in the island’s water system. The findings prompted a local state of emergency and months of surveillance testing. The Virgin Islands Government later attributed the alarmingly high levels to faulty testing protocols, but a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also noted insufficient corrosion control measures. Days before the initial testing began, the EPA sent WAPA a “notice of significant deficiencies” found during a mid-September inspection of St. Croix’s water infrastructure.