The National Water Commission (NWC) is blaming a restaurant for the sewage overflow on Harbour Street in Port Antonio, Portland, last week.

According to the NWC the overflow was a result of a blockage in the utility’s sewer network.

“This was caused by grease entering the network from an existing customer. The source of this was oils and fats, which flowed from a restaurant. There was neglect on the part of the restaurant owner to attend to and remove the grease before discharge to the sewer and thus impeded the flow of sewage,” said the NWC in a release yesterday.

“This blockage was cleared by the NWC’s waste water team, and the affected areas cleaned and disinfected.

“The incident is a timely reminder that under no circumstance should grease or oil be allowed to enter the sewer network in accordance with the stipulated conditions of services in the agreement between our customers and ourselves. It also demonstrates that restaurant owners and managers must ensure that there is regular cleaning of their grease traps to prevent occurrences of this nature,” added the NWC.

The company said it is always concerned about how the improper collection, treatment and disposal of sewage affect its customers and the environment.

“To this end, we have consistently encouraged citizens to desist from carrying out various activities that overload and clog the utility’s sewerage infrastructure. Some of these actions include: channelling excess storm water in manholes, which don’t have the capacity to deal with the additional load; flushing non-biodegradable items such as sanitary napkins and cigarettes; and causing too much grease to enter sinks and sewers.

“In the case of medical waste, as well as sewage from industrial and chemical processes, pretreatment is mandated to ensure that the NWC sewers only receive ‘fresh’, non-septic sewage, which is similar in characteristics to that of domestic waste,” declared the company.

In addition, the NWC said residents of Port Antonio should note that it has a fully operational sewerage network that produces effluent which conforms to the standards prescribed by National Environment and Planning Agency and other public health regulators.

The company also encouraged residents of Port Antonio to get connected to its sewerage network which, it noted, was more reliable, environmentally safe and efficient.