More than $3 billion in federal funding is in motion to overhaul the territory’s aging wastewater infrastructure, according to Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority Interim Executive Director Daryl Griffith — part of a long-term plan that includes the replacement of pump stations, underground sewer lines, and critical emergency bypass systems across St. Croix and St. Thomas.

On St. Croix, the first phase of pump replacements is set to begin following board approval in June. Griffith said the goal is to order equipment immediately, with delivery expected within two months and installation to follow, starting with the most vulnerable stations. St. Thomas is following closely behind, with funding secured in January and a full inventory of pump systems now being compiled in preparation for a request for proposals. The agency is also working with the Office of Disaster Recovery, Public Works, and the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority on a unified “one-dig” strategy, bundling design and construction contracts to limit disruption and accelerate progress. Another key priority is separating stormwater from wastewater lines to protect pump infrastructure during heavy rains, which often send rocks, debris, and runoff into the sewage system and trigger equipment failure.

The need for long-term investment came into sharp focus Friday, when months of behind-the-scenes tension between VIWMA and one of its main contractors boiled over. Tony Adibe, president of SD&C Inc., had threatened to pull rented bypass pumps from active sites on St. Thomas by 5 p.m. Friday if the government failed to make good on more than $6 million in unpaid invoices, some dating back years.

The equipment, which keeps raw sewage from backing up into populated areas while infrastructure remains in flux, had become a financial burden SD&C said it could no longer carry without compensation. Adibe said earlier Friday that he had reached his limit after years of delays and unfulfilled promises from VIWMA. But by late afternoon, Adibe confirmed he had been working throughout the day with Public Works Commissioner and VIWMA Board Chair Derek Gabriel, who committed to having a partial payment released next week.

Bypass pumps remain in place, according to Adibe, who spoke with the Source after 5 p.m. Friday. He credited Gabriel for stepping in directly and opening the lines of communication to help move things forward. “Derek reached out and got people talking,” Adibe said. “It made a difference.”

In emails sent to Griffith and other officials, Adibe outlined $6.1 million in outstanding payments — including $1.5 million for Savan Gut work that VIWMA says has FEMA approval and is currently being processed, and $1.3 million more pending a final walk-through scheduled for Monday. Griffith also said questions surrounding the Krause Lagoon project are close to being resolved and added that all outstanding items are tied to federally funded programs that require additional processing steps, including drawing from a line of credit and reimbursement by the central government.

“We’ve gotten some relief – we’re working to get him some of the payment he’s been requesting,” Griffith said Friday. “It’s not instantaneous, but the approvals are there.”