GOV’T REVIVES PLAN TO MERGE ELECTRICITY AND WATER SERVICES FOR 2025

The Government of the Virgin Islands has announced plans to merge the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) with the Water and Sewerage Department (WSD) by 2025, reigniting a proposal initially announced in 2013 under the National Democratic Party (NDP) which was never realized.

Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. the Hon. Natalio Wheatley, made the declaration on Monday, November 11, during his 2025 Budget Address, emphasizing the merger’s potential to transform the territory’s infrastructure efficiency and service delivery.

The initiative, described by Dr. Wheatley as central to his administration’s national goal of establishing high-quality, resilient infrastructure, seeks to leverage the BVIEC’s leadership and operational structure to improve water production, transmission, and distribution services. The consolidated entity would also streamline wastewater collection and disposal, making service delivery more effective while supporting the Territory’s transition toward sustainable energy.

“This merger will consolidate skill sets and leverage the established leadership and infrastructure of BVIEC,” Dr. Wheatley stated, “to promote efficient water production, transmission, and distribution, as well as effective collection and disposal of wastewater.”

This marks the second attempt to integrate these services under a single organizational structure. In 2013, then-Minister for Communications and Works, Mark Vanterpool, announced a similar plan to merge the two entities which was to come into effect from January 1, 2014. Despite initial groundwork, the project did not materialize. At the time, Minister Vanterpool’s office did not disclose the full rationale for the merger, but he stated that efforts were underway to make it a reality.

The renewed focus on the merger comes as part of Premier Wheatley’s broader plan to deliver dependable, sustainable services across the territory, which includes the launch of a solar farm and additional diesel engine capacity on Anegada to bolster reliable power for residents and businesses there.

With these initiatives, the BVI government aims to improve accountability, streamline operations, and ensure that both water and electricity services can better serve the territory’s needs.