Mountain Top Springs Engine room – Grand Sable damaged by trough system

Mountain Top Springs bottled water should be back on the shelves of supermarkets here by early next week.{{more}}

Ken Da Silva, CEO of Mountain Top Springs, made the disclosure to SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, May 4.

On April 12, during the passage of a trough system that affected the North Windward section of the island, the company’s engine room at Grand Sable, which housed generators, air-compressors and spare parts, sustained significant damage.

“Right now, we can’t produce anything because we have no electricity. Once we get those generators back and we have those compressors back up, we normally do about one thousand cases per day, we would be able to continue,” said Da Silva.

“We have lost everything that was in the [engine] room there, because these motors once they get wet, by and large they are finished with,” said Da Silva.

Da Silva said while the company lost its generators and compressors, its main processing plant was spared.

He contended that the engine room diverted the water which flowed from the river and helped to save the processing plant.

The road, however, leading to the plant has been substantially damaged, said Da Silva. He noted that while it has been mostly repaired, there are two bridges which are still to be repaired.

Da Silva said while his company is seeking assistance from its insurance, it has taken the initiative to order replacement generators, air compressors, spare parts and tools that were damaged.

On the day of the storm, Moutain Top Springs had close to 1, 000 cases of water, (12,000 -15,000 bottles) in stock, but those were sold in a day.

So far the debris that piled up at the engine room has been removed.

“I must give credit to BRAGSA and to Julian Francis,” said DaSilva.

He told SEARCHLIGHT that he expected the new compressors to arrive on Wednesday, May 4, and the plant should be up and running by Monday, May 9. He noted that the company will be renting a generator until its new generator arrives on Wednesday, May 11. Mountain Top Springs usually provides its own electricity, because Grand Sable is not serviced by VINLEC. He said if the area was serviced by VINLEC the plant would have been up and running at an earlier date.

Coincidentally, just before the storm hit, Moutain Top Springs had supplied Barbados, Grenada and Tortola. Usually, their stock lasts for one month.