Jersey Water hosted a tour of its operations for the Lieutenant-Governor of Jersey on 11th March.
His Excellency, Vice Admiral Jerry Kyd, accompanied by his Chief of Staff, Justin Oldridge, visited one of the utility’s two water treatment work at Handois and the desalination plant.
Members of Jersey Water’s operational water supply team gave His Excellency a guided tour of both sites, providing explanations of the work required to supply water to the Island today and the challenges the utility faces to secure a sustainable water supply for the future.
After his visit, where the Lieutenant-Governor got first-hand operational experience of firing up the quarry pool pumps at the desalination plant, His Excellency commented: “My recent visit to Jersey Water was hugely informative and gave real insight into the extensive behind-the-scenes operations involved in supplying Islanders with clean, safe drinking water on a daily basis. The pride and sense of purpose of all the Jersey Water employees I met was evident and I was impressed by their commitment to providing this critical service to the Island, which all too often we, the public, can take for granted.
“Hearing about the challenges the company is grappling with to meet the Island’s forecast water supply deficit for the next 40 years and beyond certainly reminds us to use this precious resource sparingly.”
Helier Smith, Chief Executive of Jersey Water added: “We were honoured to host the Lieutenant-Governor at Jersey Water and take the opportunity to showcase the important work we do to supply water to our Island community. His Excellency showed a keen interest in the processes we employ to treat and distribute drinking water across the Island’s mains network and an appreciation for the operational pressures we face, while ensuring we meet the needs of our customers.”
His Excellency will open Jersey Water’s new headquarters/hub at Rue des Pres trading estate once the redevelopment is complete in late 2025.
Pictured: Left to right – Patrick Oakes O’Connor – Head of Production Operations, Mark Manton – Head of Strategic Operations, His Excellency Helier Smith – Chief Executive and Julie Taylor – Operations Director. Picture credit: Max Burnett
