Government is pushing ahead with plans to construct a new sewage plant on the island’s South Coast.
The assurance was given this afternoon by Minister of Transport, Works and Water Resources, Ian Gooding-Edghill, who revealed that a plot of land next to the current South Coast Treatment Plant in Harmony Hall, Christ Church, had already been identified as the site for the new plant.
Speaking to members of the media at the South Coast plant following a tour to the Bridgetown Sewage Plant by officials of the Barbados Water Authority, Gooding-Edghill revealed that Government was also looking to upgrade the current treatment plant.
“We are advanced [with] discussions on upgrading the South Coast Treatment Plant here. We are also at an advanced stage in discussions with a proposer to build a new sewage treatment plant. I can’t disclose the financial details because we are at an advanced stage,” the minister outlined.
“It certainly will not mean the end of this plant. We are going to be upgrading the current facility at the same time we are going to be constructing a new facility,” he explained.
Gooding-Edghill said employment opportunities would be created for Barbadians once construction of the new plant began.
Technical advisor to the BWA, Dr John Mwansa pointed out that the present South Coast treatment plant was simply not good enough and needed to be upgraded.
“This plant here is not treating the sewage at the same level as you would have seen at Bridgetown. This is basically a screening plant; it removes the cloths, the 2×4’s, the pet bottles and other fine material…When we upgrade it, it will be able to provide a higher level of treatment,” Dr Mwansa said.
The minister revealed that since 2018 the BWA had spent around $26 million on the two treatment plants, including the replacement of critical equipment.
“We continue to enhance and upgrade both facilities and that will continue and of course once we have reached conclusions with our negotiations then we will be at a position to inform you and give you a snapshot of what is to happen here as well as the new plant we are proposing,” he said.
Gooding-Edghill said he was impressed with the work done with both sewage plants by former Minister Wilfred Abrahams.
The minister pointed to challenges facing the BWA in relation to the proper servicing of grease traps by businesses operating along the south coast.
He said the failure to properly service these grease traps was causing major headaches for the BWA and the Sewage Treatment Plan.
Gooding-Edghill said the South Coast Sewage Plant hauled around US 170, 000 gallons of grease annually while the plant in Bridgetown hauled about US 400, 000 gallons of grease on an annual basis.
He said the Ministry of Health as well as the BWA’s industrial waste inspector had been meeting with businesses about the issue.
The minister said stiffer penalties and fines would be legislated to punish persons who failed to comply. However, he said that would be a last resort.
Gooding-Edghill said 700 of the 4500 customers connected to the treatment plant, were commercial businesses, with 500 of those being food related establishments.
Senior Engineer of the Waste Water Division at the BWA, Bryan Stuart said the plant was having to deal with large amounts of rags and grease.
“The rags continue to pose a problem especially for the pumps at the lift stations. As far as the grease is concerned we are still seeing challenges from some food service establishments,” he said.
“In our experience over the past couple of months a lot of the establishments are indeed working with us and trying to become compliant but there are a few others who are not and we would appeal to those to try and employ best management practices as far as the grease traps are concerned.”
