The Tribune

FREEPORT: LESS than one per cent of customers are without power, according to the CEO of the Grand Bahama Power Company.

Sarah McDonald said those still affected were customers in areas that experienced flood damages and a few small pockets.

Ms McDonald said most areas had been restored, with the exception of Queen’s Cove, as well as Deep Water Cay and Sweeting’s Cay which suffered extensive damage.

She said their crew would be conducting damage assessment in the cays so that they can address power outages as quickly as possible for those residents.

Ms McDonald said inspections in Queen’s Cove were completed on Tuesday.

“There was a lot of damage in the area. We had a number of poles down, our conductor is down, and a lot of debris is on the lines.

“We anticipate it will take us two days to build the backbone to get individual customers on. (But) they are most heavily impacted.”

She also noted that they are trying to address small pockets in Williams Town and Adventurers Way.

Asked whether there was any damage to the new plant, McDonald said they sustained no damage but had challenges with sea salt to their substation equipment.

“It was a different storm than Irene - there was not much rain.

“We had very high winds and when winds are high they bring sea salt and the salt lands on the substation equipment.

“On Friday, we were trying to wash out the unit and that slowed us down. But we want to thank the fire department and airport for giving us their pump trucks to wash our equipment,” she said.

Kelon Turnquest, GB Utility Company manager, said water on Grand Bahama had been fully restored.

“We are presently pumping water throughout the island,” he said, adding that their plants in Freeport, High Rock, Pelican Point, and McLean’s Town are up and operational.

He reported that while their well field over the bridge was significantly affected by the flooding and power outage, they are using a standby diesel generator for pumping.

“The plant over the bridge was heavily impacted and we are still pumping with standby diesel generator because we got water intrusion in the plant and we to make sure check the electrical before we turn the power on,” he explained.

Mr Turnquest assured residents that the water is good for drinking.

“We test our water.

“We know that chlorides in that particular well field over the bridge was unabated a little, but it is within acceptable World Health Organisation standards.

“We have three other plants, and so when we pump the water in our system it is flowing through a network of pipes and lines and the water blends.

“We have good water in the other plants that are blending with the chlorides plant, so the water is still within acceptable standard - the water supply is safe to drink,” he said.

• SEE PAGE OPPOSITE

FOR MORE