Work on a $2.1 million project to address aged water infrastructure at Boaz Island Village has been completed.

Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, said yesterday the fresh water system at the Sandys site was originally installed more than 30 years ago when the area was used to house Canadian soldiers.

Colonel Burch said: “Unfortunately the underground infrastructure which supplies potable and flushing water to the residences was constructed using below-grade materials.

“Over the years, this resulted in the infrastructure deteriorating to the point where residents lost approximately three cups of water to the one cup consumed through underground leakage.”

He said the water losses had proved costly for residents, who had to pay for all the water that was supplied, and the failing infrastructure resulted in regular service failures in the area.

Colonel Burch said: “This situation has got progressively worse over the last decade.

“The condominium corporation reached the point of juggling revenues with the expense of buying excessive amounts of water and investing in temporary fixes to address leaks to restore the water supply.

“It became inevitable that a catastrophic break would occur at any moment which would be beyond reasonable repair and force the entire community to abandon their homes.”

He said that 94 homes were affected by the ongoing issues, including 31 properties managed by the West End Development Corporation (Wedco).

Colonel Burch said that last March, the decision was made to replace and upgrade the entire water system.

Homeowners agreed with the proposal, with Wedco and the Ministry of Public Works offering the condominium corporation a $1.1 million interest-free loan.

The remaining $1 million was provided through a loan offered by Clarien Bank and a “significantly lowered interest rate”.

The loans will be repaid through a monthly infrastructure repair surcharge of $160 per month per household for the homeowners.

Colonel Burch said that while the work was “slightly delayed” by the Covid-19 pandemic, it was completed on budget with work concluding last week.

He added: “This significant improvement will afford the residents of the village peace of mind in that they can now rely on a reliable water service.

“The upgrade will also enhance the viability of the village and improve it’s marketability.”

Colonel Burch added that since the work has been completed the Ministry has not received any feedback - which he said was a good sign after a decade of regular complaints.

He said: “We had a lot of complaints and a lot of challenges, particularly in the last three years with breakages and leakage.

“The entire village has been dug up to provide for the infrastructure and the new pumping, and there has not been one complaint.”

Colonel Burch said the project was not linked to the Ministry’s Covid-19 stimulus programme, but the work was in line with the Ministry’s master plan for the island’s water system.