PSC Urges WAPA Customers to Lodge Complaints, Attend Open House Friday

The Public Services Commission is urging V.I. Water and Power Authority customers who have encountered problems such as significantly higher billing, a lack of responsiveness from the utility, or any other service-related issues to file complaints with the PSC.

In a notice issued Thursday, the commission said it plans to log the complaints and present them to WAPA to highlight this concern among its customer base. Additionally, the PSC will hold an open house on Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Suite 4 in Barbel Plaza on St. Thomas, located at 1003 Estate Ross, to engage with the community and hear customer complaints.

The St. Thomas-St. John District has been particularly hard hit the past week, enduring rotating blackouts as the chronically cash-strapped utility works to conserve fuel while it awaits its next diesel delivery during a time of rising temperatures and surging demand.

This comes after some customers waited as many as six days for current following Tropical Storm Ernesto last month, which was largely blamed on overgrown vegetation on the power lines because WAPA cannot afford to pay for regular maintenance.