Through the VI*A*Syst program (V.I. Home & Farm Water Quality Assessment), VICES staff have trained over 700 individuals in conducting site, ceistern management, septic system operation and maintenance, and least toxic household lproducts/household hazardous waqste assessments. Staff and trainers have provided education and outreach on various VI*A*Syst topics to over 4,000 students, teachers, and members of the general public during fairs, presentations, conferences, and radio and television talk shows.

VICES has initiated a Smart Growth project, in partnership with the V.I. Coastal Zone Management Program to be linked to the National NEMO project. Partners include various University departments, local and federal government agencies and non-governmental organizations. This project is researching smart growth initaitives and practices to adopt or adapt them for use in initiating a Virgin Islands NEMO-type program and producing education and outreach materials to promote smart growht and low-impact development practices. To date, UVI-CES has provided training on smart growth/low-impact development issues (specifically construction planning, minimizing impervious surfaces, sediment/erosion/stormwater control) to over 160 individuals.

Drinking Water and Human Health
return to top of page

Virgin Islands' water supply issues are unique in that more than half of our population depends upon rooftop catchment/cistern systems as their primary source of water. Cisterns have unusual sanitation and management issues. Many residents do not know how to properly maintain their water supply systems to prevent contamination, and are discouraged from regularly testing their water due to limited and costly testing facilities. Another potential health hazard results from the deposition of storm debris, volcanic ash from the nearby volcano on Montserrat, and ash from chronic above-ground fires at the territory's unsanitary landfills onto nearby rooftop catchments.

To address these issues, VICES provides education & outreach on cistern operation & maintenance and source water protection targeted to our diverse clientele through our grant-funded VI*A*Syst (V.I. Home & Farm Water Quality Assessment) Program. The goal is to encourage voluntary adoption of pollution prevention practices to protect public health and the environment. Outreach methods include workshops, presentations to youth & community groups, appearances on local radio & television talk shoes, and airing of 30-second television public service announcements on the topics of least-toxic household products and cistern maintenance. VICES is also expanding its VI*A*Syst programming on the island of St. Croix through the Regional Project. This program has also received funding from §319 Nonpoint Source Management grants, an FY 1999 CSREES-WQ grant, a U.S. EPA Environmental Education grant, and the CSREES-HUD Healthy Homes program.

Watershed Management
return to top of page

The Virgin Islands’ marine and terrestrial ecosystems are closely inter-related and heavily impacted by a population of over 110,000 residing on slightly more than 130 square miles. Increased conversion of forests and agricultural land to residential and commercial development has resulted in numerous environmental and public health problems, including:

1. Water quality impairment and coral reef degradation from sedimentation (i.e., the primary nonpoint source pollutant),
2. Increased stormwater runoff volume, velocity, and contamination resulting from rapidly depleted forest habitat and dramatically increased impervious surface area, and
3. Surface and ground water contamination from failing septic systems.

To address these issues, VICES, in cooperation with DPNR-CZM, initiated a “Smart Growth” project to be linked to the national NEMO network to educate territorial officials about the direct impacts of uncontrolled development and resultant NPS pollution, sprawl and increases in impervious surfaces on our tourism-based economy. Smart Growth partners will encourage and assist regulators in developing and implementing new rules and procedures to incorporate NPS pollution prevention, impervious pavement reduction, low-impact development practices, and land use planning tools. Partners will also promote the use of low-impact development practices with the construction industry and homeowners to reduce erosion, sedimentation, stormwater runoff and impervious surface coverage.

VICES also provides education & outreach specific to our small, insular island ecosystems and conditions and targeting our diverse clientele through our grant-funded VI*A*Syst (V.I. Home & Farm Water Quality Assessment) Program. The goal is to encourage voluntary adoption of pollution prevention practices (specifically related to wastewater treatment, soil & habitat conservation and low-impact development) to protect public health and the environment. Outreach methods include workshops, presentations to youth & community groups, appearances on local radio and television talk shoes, and airing of 30-second television public service announcements on the topics of septic system operation & maintenance and soil conservation.