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Less than seven days. This is the time span between the collapse of the concrete structure of one of the buffer tanks at the drinking water treatment plant operated by Sidem in Public on Saturday, June 13, and the resumption of water supply to the distribution network on Saturday, June 20. This was one of the shortest service interruptions on record, given the damage caused by sections of wall collapsing onto water pipes and the “pipe” used to refuel the tanks at the EDF power plant in Public. The brevity of the general outage is attributable to all the services that worked tirelessly, sometimes day and night, to clear debris and secure the area of the industrial site affected by the reservoir rupture.
Guadeloupe Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS) Provides Reinforcements
On site, technicians from Sidem, Saur, and various other companies worked together to facilitate rapid repairs. At the same time, the operations carried out by firefighters from the Territorial Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS), particularly its USAR team (Rescue, Support, and Search Unit), were crucial. Reinforcements from the Guadeloupe SDIS, secured following approval from the Interministerial Crisis Management Operations Center (COGIC) and relayed by the Interministerial General Staff for the Antilles Region (EMIZA), were also decisive.
Dispatched to Saint Barth, Commander Cyrille Pallud and Chief Warrant Officer Jean-Marc Marcin provided their expertise to the STIS USAR team. “It was more appropriate to maintain a very high level of monitoring at an ATEX site—one with an explosive risk and an unstable structure,” explains Commander Pallud. “We deployed two rangefinders and a laser that monitors changes in the concrete structure and issues an alert at the slightest oscillation of the building. ” This system made it possible to inspect and then shore up the site safely.
Effective Resource Allocation
On the island, the Territorial Collectivity, in collaboration with Sidem, organized water distribution to so-called essential facilities (hospitals, schools, daycare centers) so they could continue to operate, even under restrictions. At the same time, major drinking water suppliers, such as supermarkets, ordered and received large quantities of bottled water to ensure the population could stay supplied. In addition, collection points for non-potable water were made available to the public.
As is often the case in times of crisis, some people occasionally forgot the concept of solidarity by taking more than their share at the expense of their neighbors. This lack of civic-mindedness sparked some public discontent. However, this did not truly hinder the smooth distribution of resources, which was also carried out via tanker truck deliveries. It should be noted that the Sidem plant was able to continue production, since two of the four reservoirs were unaffected.
The network is 100% supplied
Finally, once repairs were completed, the process of refilling the Colombier reservoir began on Saturday, June 20. Yesterday, Wednesday, June 24, Saur’s director for the Antilles and French Guiana, Willy Latchman, assured that 100% of the network would be restored by evening. “Thanks to a gradual refilling process, we avoided pipe breaks, although there were a few—minor ones,” he said.
Water has therefore returned to the taps. However, it is not yet considered safe to drink. In fact, the Regional Health Agency will continue to conduct tests for a few more days to assess water quality. One question now needs to be answered: how and why did the walls of the buffer tank suddenly give way?
The day after the rupture, there was unofficial talk of one or more cracks appearing in the walls. For now, there is no official explanation. An expert analysis of the debris from the shattered sections of wall will certainly provide answers.
