Today the Water and Sewerage Department announced the return of its Director Mr. Julian Willock to office after being on study-leave in the United Kingdom for the past twelve months.
Mr. Willock is hopeful that his return to office will contribute to improved services and a more customer focused organization.
Mr. Willock further stated that he is delighted that matters related to the Territory’s water and sewerage infrastructures continue to command the attention from Government leaders and is currently part of the national debate.
He also expressed his confidence in the current Administration to do whatever it takes to resolve these important and difficult issues of improving the local water and sewerage systems. “I congratulate Premier Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE and his Government for their actions taken thus far towards addressing those issues. This includes the crucial and positive steps of already securing funds for the sewerage project, and options towards reducing the cost we pay for desalination water,” Willock said.
According to Mr. Willock, there is a pressing need for more attention to be paid to the Department’s human resources and the urgent need for capacity building. “Succession planning seems to be a difficulty throughout the civil service.
Despite this, I am keen to commend the staff of the Water and Sewerage Department for their sacrifice, commitment and long standing dedication to maintaining the water and sewerage infrastructure, despite the daily challenges, including the issue of outstanding overtime payments owed to officers,” he said.
Mr. Willock is credited for, among other things, restoring the Department’s monthly billing system and providing better services to customers while raising close to 6 million dollars in revenue in 2007, the Department’s highest revenue collection in its history.
He also introduced payments by credit and debit cards for all water and sewage bills on Tortola and Virgin Gorda along with the enhancement of 24 hours after hour emergency water and sewerage services.
Additionally, under Mr. Willock’s tenure before proceeding on study leave, the Water and Sewerage Department also saw a huge water expansion with new water access lines installed on Jost Van Dyke, Sea Cows Bay, East End/Long Look, Virgin Gorda and for the first time on the sister Island of Anegada.
Mr. Willock holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Political Science from the University of Buffalo, New York and a certificate in Public Administration from the University of the West Indies. He also has one year of post graduate law school at the University of Surrey in Guilford, England. Before first being assigned to the Water and Sewage Department in October of 2004 he worked as Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour.
British Virgin Islands News