Rotating power outages on St. Thomas will continue into Monday evening, as generator repairs continue, but Water and Power Authority Executive Director Hugo Hodge said at 6:30 p.m. Monday he is hopeful they may have one of two faulty generators working "in the next hour or so" and, with luck, full power may be restored before midnight.
The authority began rotating blackouts on selected St. Thomas feeders Sunday to keep the rest of the grid working after two generating units failed, while a third, larger one was offline for propane conversion.
"We are three units down," Hodge said in a phone call with the Source. Unit no. 23, the big workhorse generator, is down, being converted to run on propane. Another was being taken down for maintenance, with a replacement being installed. But the replacement generator did not fire up, because its diesel starting motor would not come online, Hodge said.
One generator needs a part that is being shipped in, due to arrive late Monday night or early Tuesday. Meanwhile, WAPA crews are working around the clock to try to get the diesel starting unit back online, Hodge said.
"We may get one unit online tonight and the other one tomorrow," he said. "If we get one tonight, we will minimize the power rotations and, if we can, restore full power. We might have it started within the hour so we will know shortly," Hodge said.
Meanwhile, the feeders affected by rotating blackouts are listed below. The feeder rotation schedule is tentative and is subject to change. Scheduled times indicate a feeder will be without service.
– 6 to 8 p.m. — 6B, 8B, 7B, 7A, 8A
– 8 to 10 p.m. — 7C, 6A, Ridge Road, 9A
– 10 p.m. to midnight — 9D, 7D, 7E
–Feeder no. 7A includes Agnes Fancy, Altona and Welgunst, Lerkenlund, Liliendahl, Misgunst, Pearl Estate, St; Peter Mountain Road and neighboring areas;
— Feeder no. 7C includes Four Winds, Time Center, Tutu High Rise, Cassi Hill and neighboring areas;
— Feeder no. 9D includes Bolongo Bay, Bovoni, Frenchman’s Bay, Thomasville and neighboring areas;
— Feeder no. 7B includes Longbay, 1st Avenue, Raphune Hill, sections of Estate Thomas and neighboring areas;
— Feeder no. 7D includes Emerald Hill, Frydendahl, Point Pleasant, Red Hook, Smith Bay and neighboring areas;
— Feeder no. 9C includes Brookman, Mariendahl, Wintberg Peak and neighboring areas;
WAPA urged customers with generators to use them during the rotation schedule.
— Feeder no. 8A includes Garden Street, Savan, Hospital Ground and neighboring areas;
— Feeder no.10B includes Bolongo to Frenchman’s Bay;
— Feeder no. 8B serves Mafolie, Magens Bay, Peterborg and other neighboring areas;
Additional information can be obtained by sending email to communications@viwapa.vi.
— Feeder no. 6A includes Bonne Esperance, Bordeaux Lindberg Bay, Nisky, Scott Free, Fortuna, Hope and neighboring areas;
— Feeder no. 9A includes Subbase, Main Street, Back Street and neighboring areas.
