THE new sewage treatment plant to serve Harbour View and its environs has finally been completed, after five years of construction.

Members of the Harbour View Citizens Association and the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) regularly toured the facility during construction, as part of a court order to build a new plant for Harbour View.

The modern, efficient sewage facility, which is managed by the National Water Commission, replaced the old plant which had not worked in over 20 years and discharged untreated sewage into the Kingston Harbour.

“We are really grateful to JET,” said Carol Lawton, community member, and one of those who joined JET in the lawsuit. “So many people from Harbour View tried over such a long time to get the plant fixed, without any success. It was only legal action that made the difference,” she said.

The Harbour View Sewage Treatment plant was built in the 1970s, as part of the development of that community. The design, however, was not appropriate for the harsh conditions of the site and the plant broke down frequently, eventually ceasing to function in the 1980s.

“The Harbour View sewage plant was one of the first places I visited when I became interested in environmental issues back in 1990,” said Diana McCaulay, JET’s CEO. “I remember standing there and watching the untreated sewage flow over the beach and into the sea and thinking, ‘this is not acceptable’. So after all these years, it is a good moment to see a new plant at Harbour View.”

Consulting engineer for the project, Maurice Jones of Fluid Systems Engineering Ltd, said: “The treatment processes are mainly natural, with low or no energy inputs and very little mechanisation, including ponds, a trickling filter and reed beds. The only aspect outstanding is the disinfection facility.”

Jones said the design of the plant gives the NWC a realistic chance of successful operation and maintenance, but cautioned that consistent maintenance will still be required. He noted that the location of the plant was not ideal, due to the threat of sea level rise, but there was no choice. A substantial protective wall has been built, but there is still a risk of damage to the facility from a storm.

Although there will be no further tours of the facility for the community or JET, as the requirements of the court order have been met, JET has written to the NWC president to request voluntary guided visits every six months to ensure the plant continues to be maintained.

JET also wants a community meeting to advise a larger number of residents about the various features of the plant and what they should expect.

The NWC has spent more than $750 million on the Harbour View Sewage treatment plant over the past five years.

The 2010 court order stated that the National Water Commission, the National Environment and Planning Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Authority had failed to perform their statutory duties in respect of the Harbour View treatment plant.