General Manager of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), Dr. John Mwansa.
Consideration is being given to upgrading the South Coast Sewage Plant.
Word of this came from General Manager of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), Dr. John Mwansa, at a press conference held earlier this month to update the media on the recent challenges being experienced at the Plant and along the South Coast, and the steps being taken to remedy the situation. He explained that the plant, which was completed in 1997 and started operations in 2003, is designed to accommodate up to 3 000 domestic and commercial connections, but at present only services approximately 2 500 connections. As such, he said there is room for more properties to come on stream and he added, even if the connections have to increase beyond the current capacity, they are ready to meet those needs.
“Every property that is within the sewer area is required to be connected to the sewer system and if the numbers increase above the 3 000, remember one of the elements that we’re looking at is actually upgrading the treatment plant to a point where it can treat the water to tertiary level and the water can then be reused, for example for groundwater recharge or non-potable uses. But in doing that analysis and the upgrading, if we need additional capacity that would then be incorporated into those designs,” he said.
The BWA official also spoke to the operations of the sluice gate, which allow for water levels in the Graeme Hall Swamp to be reduced as needed, explaining that consideration is being given to repositioning the gate which is operated by the Drainage Division.
“There is actually a proposal which we are looking at implementing, which would upgrade the operations and the system that is currently being utilised to deal with the sluice gate. That is intended to include a pipeline. Right now, if you look at where the position of the sluice gate is, that is where the sea water line used to be when that sluice gate was constructed. The sea line has receded and so when you open the gate that water runs on land before it gets into the sea,” he explained.
Mwansa added that the new proposed design will take the water away from the beach into the sea and so the discoloration which is visible would not then be an issue. This discoloration, he said, is the result of the decaying vegetative matter that is being washed out with the water. (JRT)
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