Officials Seek to Ease St. Croix's Water Crisis in 90 Days Following Biden’s Partial Federal State of Emergency Declaration

VITEMA director outlines federal support measures and continued local efforts to address contamination and supply issues.

A request for a declaration of a federal state of emergency to handle the water crisis on St. Croix has been partially approved by President Joe Biden. That decision, explained Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) Director Daryl Jaschen, was predicated upon “the current assessment and degree of federal assistance requested.”

Mr. Jaschen, speaking at Monday’s Government House press briefing, said that for a full declaration to be made, “we have to demonstrate...that we are overwhelmed with our assets.” This is not the current reality in the USVI, with ample drinking water supply available locally. However, Mr. Jacschen confirmed that the situation is fluid. If supply chain hiccups affect the bottled water supply, “FEMA comes in for a short period of time [to] provide that assistance.”

The partial declaration affords the USVI 90 days of support, and “must be focused on providing direct federal assistance, providing emergency protective measures, continuing the [state of] emergency, as well as improving the conditions for our community,” said the VITEMA director. As he explained in response to a question from the Consortium, the major difference from what currently obtains with the local state of emergency declaration is access to additional technical support by way of “direct federal assistance.”

For example, Mr. Jaschen explained that were the Water and Power Authority to encounter difficulty in digging up or identifying compromised line components, “we can look at direct federal assistance being contracted outside of WAPA and paid…by the federal government beforehand, and not having to go back and get reimbursed.” This, he said, would serve as a “big financial boost going forward.”

On the technical side, Mr. Jaschen revealed that conversations are taking place regarding requesting support from the Army Corps of Engineers to assist with ongoing infrastructural assessments. The new support, he said, is expected to produce a “stronger partnership.”