British Virgin Islands to get $43m water upgrade from biwater/barclays partnership
UK engineering company Biwater has received $43 million to construct a 10,400 m3/day desalination plant, water storage and wastewater facilities on Tortola, the largest and most populated island of the British Virgin Islands.
The dual-tranche project financing from Barclays has been backed by a repayment guarantee from government export credit agency UKEF.
It is hoped the works will ensure an adequate and reliable supply of drinking water all year-round, along with improved sewage facilities.
Ross Taylor from Barclays said the project will be "life-changing" for Tortola.
Earlier in December, Biwater was also awarded a reverse osmosis contract in North Carolina, by T.A. Loving Company to support Dixon Water Treatment Plant improvement works being carried out by Onslow Water and Sewer Authority in the city of Jacksonville.
The new RO system is planned to increase Dixon Water Treatment Plant's potable water production capacity and comply with new Environment Protection Agency standards, removing silica and organics from the influent.
Carlsbad desalination project construction now 25% complete in california
Following its long 12-year planning battle controversy, the Carlsbad desalination project in California has taken a step forward and construction is reported to be 25% complete.
The $1 billion venture, launched in late 2012, is said to be within budget and on schedule to start producing water in 2016.
Expected to produce over 200,000 m3/day of water per day by the end of 2015, the facility will be one of the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Besides the plant, the project includes a large-diameter pipeline in North County, along with upgrades to Water Authority facilities. It will account for about one-third of all the water generated in San Diego County,
The reverse-osmosis plant in Carlsbad will connect to the Water Authority's aqueduct via a 10-mile pipeline through Carlsbad, Vista and San Marcos.
Pipeline installation is nearing completion in San Marcos and Vista; construction in Carlsbad is under way and expected to last through 2015.
In addition, the Water Authority is making about $80 million in upgrades to its own facilities so it can deliver desalinated seawater into its Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant for distribution throughout the region. In 2020, the project will meet about 7% of the region's water demand.
In November 2012 the Water Authority signed a 30-year agreement to purchase desalinated water from Poseidon. To mark the first anniversary of the construction, city leaders, San Diego County Water Authority board officers, IDE Technologies, NRG Energy and Poseidon Water executives visited the Carlsbad Desalination Project in early January.
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