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TESTIMONY FOR THE 36TH LEGISLATURE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, HOSPITALS AND HUMAN SERVICES VIRGIN ISLANDS WASTE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY MONDAY, JULY 7, 2025 DARYL GRIFFITH INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 2 Good day, Honorable Senator Ray Fonseca, Chairperson, and other Committee 1 members of the 36th Legislature’s Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human 2 Services, and members of the viewing and listening audience. I am Daryl Griffith, the 3 Interim Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of the Virgin Islands Waste 4 Management Authority. 5 6 The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) plays a crucial role in 7 providing wastewater services, including collection, pumping, treatment, and 8 disposal to approximately 60% of the Virgin Islands’ residents. More than 4.5 9 million gallons of wastewater flow through the sewage pipes daily, heading toward 10 the wastewater treatment plants on St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. The collection 11 system comprises gravity and pressure pipes of various sizes, as well as several pump 12 stations. 13 14 The wastewater infrastructure in the territory is aged and failing, presenting 15 significant challenges for the Authority. The system is becoming increasingly 16 expensive and difficult to operate and maintain daily. Recently, problems have 17 multiplied due to hurricanes and tropical storms. 18 19 3 Challenges with the system 20 The territory’s wastewater infrastructure is operated and maintained by the 21 Wastewater Division of VIWMA and is comprised of three (3) sections. 22 1. Sewer Collection System – from the point where a customer’s sewer line 23 (lateral) is connected to a main sewer line and runs by gravity through pipes 24 and manholes until it arrives at the pump stations. 25 Unfortunately, the collection system is arguably the oldest section of the sewer 26 infrastructure, comprising clay, concrete, and cast-iron piping that still make up more 27 than two-thirds of the system. Currently, there are over 10 locations in the territory 28 deemed catastrophic failures (failures where sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) affects 29 the territory’s residents, environment, and the cost of repairs exceeds $100,000.00). 30 These older, clay pipes are also more susceptible to cracking, blockage, and 31 groundwater infiltration. In some cases, upon excavation, the Authority finds only 32 soil and a faint outline indicating where the pipe once lay. In other cases, the top of 33 the pipe collapsed inward, trapping stone and soil, which caused a blockage. One 34 such severe case is the 42-inch gravity main and 24-inch force main on Veterans 35 Drive, Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas. Failure on that line is not only worsening but 36 expanding. The failure is restricting flows east of the Cancryn pump station. The 37 Authority has contracted with a contractor to create a bypass underneath the 38 walkway by Banco Popular, STT to avoid sewage flowing into the ocean while 39 4 simultaneously making the scope of work for approximately 800 feet of 42inch 40 sewer gravity line and 60 feet of 24-inch force main, estimated cost of repairs is over 41 2 million dollars. 42 The Gut Sewer system is another concerning area in Charlotte Amalie. After tropical 43 storm Ernesto, the Savan Gut sewer system was inundated with dirt and stone 44 compacted into the maintenance holes and pipes, restricting sewer flow in over 1,500 45 feet of line. The Authority is currently working on a scope of work for the RFP to 46 remove debris, allowing for the repair of the sewer line. 47 The Authority, through the Office of Disaster Recovery (ODR), has also issued a 48 draft contract to a selected contractor for the North Central area of St. Croix. This 49 contract is in collaboration with WAPA, DPW, and ODR. This contract is to design 50 and build services for the underground pipes that cover North Central St. Croix. The 51 contract is an Architectural and Engineering Construction Agreement to provide 52 Progressive Design-Build services for the assessment, architectural and engineering 53 designs, and construction, covering Mon Bijou, Barren Spot, Humbug 1 & 2, and 54 Fig Tree. It comprises over 171,000 linear feet of sewer lines ranging from 4 to 24 55 inches in diameter, approximately 710 manholes, 1,800 service laterals, and 25,000 56 linear feet of sewer force main. 57 58 For the Southwest portion of St. Croix underground work, the Authority, through 59 5 ODR, plans to issue an RFP on July 15, 2025. 60 For St. Thomas, the Authority in collaboration with ODR and the other mentioned 61 entities has issued an RFP that covers the eastern portion of the island and encompasses 62 the Bovoni Pump/Mangrove Nadir Pump Stations, Upper/Lower Tutu Valley Pump 63 Station, Mangrove Lagoon/Turpentine Run Advance Wastewater Treatment Plant 64 (AWWTP) and the Vessup Wastewater Treatment Plant (VWWTP). 65 66 67 2. Sewer Transmission – The Authority currently operates and maintains thirty-one 68 (31) pump stations throughout the territory. Over time, many have far exceeded their 69 life expectancies. The Authority has taken a two-pronged approach to the pump 70 station issue, implementing both an early action and long-term action program. As 71 part of the early action program on St. Croix, twenty-six (26) 20hp sewerage chopper 72 pumps, control panels, pipes, various fittings, and other equipment were purchased 73 for all small stations (81.25% of St Croix pump stations). The exact process is in 74 progress for all small pump stations on the islands of St. Thomas and St. John. 75 76 To address the LBJ pump station, two pumps were purchased: One bypass pump that 77 is currently installed and an in-house pump that is expected to arrive in 2.5 months. 78 For the Figtree pump station, the Authority is currently evaluating submittals from 79 6 an RFP for the replacement of all pumps and equipment, including spares. The long- 80 term goal, territory-wide, is to repair and, when necessary, demolish and construct 81 new stations with an emphasis on modernization and standardization. This would 82 improve reliability and reduce the maintenance costs. The VIWMA currently has 83 31 pump stations, and no two are alike. 84 85 3. Wastewater Treatment - The Wastewater treatment facilities treat the sewage 86 before it can be released into the environment. Waste Management Authority has 87 eight (8) Wastewater Treatment Facilities in the territory; all have been found with 88 some non-compliance by the EPA. It is increasingly challenging to maintain the 89 required effluent quality for many in need of complete replacement and other 90 upgrades. The plants not only suffer with age but also bear scars of previous 91 hurricanes. Like the collection and transmission systems, the Authority has been 92 reacting to a multitude of trouble calls, wrestling with the high cost of emergency 93 purchases, and increased employee overtime. Facilities that once benefited from 94 automated systems are no longer functional. It is especially apparent for facilities 95 like Bordeaux, Mangrove, and Vessup WWTP on St. Thomas, as well as Cruz Bay 96 and George Simmions WWTP on St. John. 97 98 As a result of all these factors, in 2024, the Authority launched the Wastewater 99 7 Optimization Program. The program is a practical roadmap for achieving reliability, 100 sustainability, and optimization of wastewater infrastructure. Fortunately for the 101 Territory, a FEMA assessment of the Territory’s sewage system conducted after the 102 2017 hurricanes concluded that repairs could not be made to stabilize the system. 103 FEMA concluded that the entire system had to be prudently replaced. Starting with 104 St. Croix, on October 25, 2024, FEMA obligated PW 1404 with a net cost of One 105 Billion, Nine Million, Nine Hundred Forty-Six Thousand, Three Hundred Sixty- 106 Two Dollars and Forty-Three Cents ($1,009,946,362.43). For St. Thomas on 107 January 17, 2025, FEMA obligated PW 100216 with a net cost of Two Billion, One 108 Hundred Eighty-Eight Million, Six Hundred Fifty-Five Thousand, Nine Hundred 109 Fifty-Four Dollars and Sixty-Six Cents ($2,188,655,954.66). St. John has also been 110 approved for FEMA Wastewater funds. FEMA obligated PW 100219 on January 17, 111 2025, for a net cost of Eighty-Three Million, Five Hundred Eighty-Nine Thousand, 112 One Hundred Seventy-Nine Dollars and Twenty-Six Cents ($83,589,179.26). The 113 Authority has aggressively begun procuring the necessary equipment and services 114 since these funds were obligated. 115 In the years to come, the territory’s sewer infrastructure should finally see the 116 promise of real change. Still, we should all be aware that this type of infrastructure 117 change is complex and involved because of the enormous amount of planning, 118 engineering, construction, and the immense number of moving parts. 119 8 It takes time to build better, and as we can see, the system is not waiting. The 120 health and beauty of the Virgin Islands are always on the minds of the employees of 121 the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority. 122 I would like to take this time to thank both the Solid Waste and Wastewater teams at 123 the Waste Management Authority. We have seen significant improvements in garbage 124 collection and wastewater management. To all the hard-working men and women of 125 the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority, thank you for your hard work. 126 127 This concludes my testimony, the Authority appreciates the Senate's oversight, and 128 my team and I stand ready to answer any questions that you may have. 129 Thank you. 130 131