Territorial Desalination Plants Resiliency Project
A Climate-Resilient Marine Spatial Plan will guide the protection and sustainable use of the Virgin Islands’ marine environment. It will define key zones for conservation, fisheries, recreation, and development—supporting climate resilience while enabling a balanced blue economy.
Introduction
The Territory’s water supply is 100% desalination-based. There are desalination plants on the main islands and some smaller sister islands. On the largest island, Tortola, there are three desalination plants; however, the vast majority of the water supply is produced by one plant in Paraquita Bay on the eastern end of the island. Water produced on the eastern end of Tortola is distributed to the west central end of Tortola, leading to a myriad of opportunities for failure along the distribution system.
The Paraquita Bay water desalination plant currently does not have backup power and the buildings housing the equipment are susceptible to wind damage.
Overall, the centralisation of production and lack of adequate backup generator power at all water desalination plants makes the Territory’s potable water supply highly vulnerable to prolonged disruption following severe weather events.
The Impact
The scope of this project includes procuring and commissioning backup generator power at all water desalination plants Territory-wide as well as construction of bunker and sea defence walls, fencing, lighting and security to protect desalination plants during storms and hurricanes. To decentralise water production systems for resilience, the scope also includes construction and commissioning of a new desalination plant in the west central area of Tortola.
The expected outcome of the project is a Territory-wide network of resilient desalination plants with built-in redundancy and interconnectedness that can remain operational after natural disasters.
The Problem
Desalination plant at Paraquita Bay
The Solution
Desalination Plant with back-up power supply.
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