Work begins on Harbour View sewage plant
THE National Water Commission (NWC) has started work on the interim sewage treatment facility for Harbour View.Tank Weld Special Projects have cleared the site and begun constructing the new facility. NWC has also received the required permit from the National Environmental Planning Agency (NEPA) to construct the facility and detailed designs have been prepared.
Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Environmental Trust (JET), Diana McCaulay, today expressed her satisfaction that work has begun on the broken down sewage plant which prompted residents of Harbour View to seek a court judgement to force the NWC to rebuild the plant which was dumping raw sewage into the Caribbean Sea.
“There have been many promises made about the Harbour View Sewage Treatment plant over the more than 30 years during which it has not functioned. It is heartening to see the work actually begin,” McCaulay say.
last week residents of Harbour View and officials from JET visited the site on October 5th, 2010 and found that the site which was previously overgrown with vegetation and had been used as a dumpsite by unknown persons was now almost completely cleared of refuse.
A section of the beach and sea will be cordoned off to prevent residents from swimming in that area until the permanent plant is built at which time the discharge will meet the recommended standards for discharge into waters.
The existing sludge beds were partially buried under dirt due to neighbouring construction activity and workers had to dig them out.
The NWC has committed over USD $500,000.00 to procure equipment and materials for the construction of the plant.
The building, which was once used as the office/control room, is in a broken down state and workers are now pumping out sewage, which had filled the lower area of the building.
The lift station, which was designed to transport the sewage for disposal, was not operational and was filled with garbage including tires, plastic bottles and clothes.
Workers have almost completely cleared the sewage and debris from the lift station.
