The National Water Commission has had to pay roughly half a million dollars to repair the lining of the Montego Bay sewage ponds after thieves stole large sections of the material twice over the last 20 months. They are now looking at how much it would cost to beef up security around the 120-acre Bogue facility that houses 12 ponds.

The ponds, along with the pipes through which effluent travels to the site, make up the resort city’s US$25-million sewage treatment project.

“It’s really unthinkable that you would have a sewage facility where you have to police every drop of sewage that goes in, to protect it from people,” said the NWC’s public relations manager, Charles Buchanan. “And this is a facility that is so important to the flourishing of Montego Bay’s tourism product, through the protection of its coastline and beaches. It’s very disappointing and distressing to think that we cannot have a facility like that without having people wilfully coming onto the premises and creating havoc.”

There are reports that produce vendors use the sturdy plastic lining to line their stalls, while other people use it to cover leaking roofs. In the latest incident, which occurred on January 17, vandals made off with 1,005 square feet of the waterproof, polyethylene material.

According to the plant’s operations manager, Paul Wilson, it will cost about $300,000 to repair the damage. The other incident, which took place around the middle of 2000, involved a smaller amount of the material and cost about $200,000 to replace.

The NWC is now looking at the figures to determine whether it would be more cost-effective to put additional security in place, than to replace sections of the lining every time it is stolen.

“I analyse it this way. If it happens every 20 months and if you spend an average of $250,000 in repairs every time, you’re looking at $12,500 per month in costs,” Wilson said. “Then you weigh that against security costs and you decide if it’s a cost you are willing to live with.”

The Sunday Observer was unable to determine how much is currently paid to secure the facility, which involves random patrols by a private security firm.

The checks take place over a 15-hour