THE sewerage system serving Calabar Mews Phase 1 at the corner of Red Hills Road and Washington Boulevard, has allegedly been overloaded by the addition of two new housing schemes, the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) Building and Town Planning Committee was told at its recent meeting.

A new scheme – Calabar Mews Phase 2 – was recently built on the original Calabar Mews townhouse and apartment complex which was developed in the 1970s, and the L’Aventura Housing Complex, adjoining Calabar Mews is also connected to the same sewerage system.

The council was told that the addition of the two complexes has been causing an overflow of sewage in the area.

A letter to the city engineer from the L’AVentura Citizens Association which was discussed at the meeting, complained that the sewerage system1which was designed to serve two schemes, was not able to cope.

“On several occasions we note that the sewage runs onto our roads and out to the main road on Washington Boulevard,” the letter stated.

The letter also noted that a primary pump which had been removed for upgrading had apparently not been returned.

But a letter, from the National Water Commission’s (NWC) waste water manager, read by KSAC administrator, Errol Bennett, explained that the sewerage system originally “conceptualised, designed and constructed” for Calabar Mews was upgraded at the request of a second developer. The letter said that following an agreement with the NWC, connection of the second housing development to the NWC connection system was approved.

“This connection has not had an adverse effect on the existing connection and conveyor system,” the letter from the NWC waste water manager said.

The letter said that extra capacity would become necessary for the system if there was a major breakdown but said that because of major rehabilitation work carried out in December 2001, this was not expected.

The waste water manager said that the NWC was formulating a plan to rehabilitate and upgrade all sewerage systems in the Kingston Metropolitan Region.

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Councillor Lee Clarke, said that he did not accept the NWC explanation, and charged that there was a “backup of sewage” whenever there are power outages.

Clarke said that L’Aventura, which is 80 per cent completed, was not fully utilised and neither is Calabar Mews Phase 2. “If nothing was done the overloading of the sewerage system would be much worse when they were at full capacity,” he said.

City Engineer Tex Innerarity said that he would take up the matter with the NWC’s waste water management.