The Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC)  has embarked on a $18 million rehabilitation of small pumping stations and the construction of several Waste Treatment Plants and Pumping Stations in New Providence.

“The main benefit of a centralized sewer collection and treatment system is the reduction in the number of septic tanks and outside toilets,  thus reducing the threat of contamination of the environment and the risk of waterborne diseases. This is the right of all citizens of the Bahamas, irrespective of their socio-economic situations,” Mr. Gibson said.

The WSC signed a contract with Island Site Development for $18.7 million to assist with the project. Chairman Adrian Gibson said the work is critical for sewerage treatment plants as the Corporation has embarked on a development of a Wastewater Master Plan which began in 2015.

The contract is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as a part of a loan agreement signed in December 2011 for the implementation of WSC’s Support Program Water Supply and Sanitations Systems Upgrade in New Providence.

“Included as part of the third component of the WSC Support Program, WSC embarked on the development of a long term Wastewater Master Plan 2015- 2035 to address; wastewater collection, treatment and disposal needs of New Providence as well as the rehabilitation of critical sewerage infrastructure on the island.

“The long term objective of the Master Plan is to divide the island into three drainage areas with three regional wastewater treatment plants,” Mr. Gibson said.

The treatment facilities span West, East and Central areas including Airport Industrial Park Plant, Fox Hill Plant and Gladstone Road Plant.

“This will help to reduce maintenance cost to the corporation and increase the efficiency of the wastewater collection and disposal system.

“The Master Plan was completed in October 2015 and from the plan it was determined which works were to be addressed as a part of the immediate or critical works,” Mr. Gibson said.

Taking the media on a tour of the plants, Mr. Gibson explained that the construction project was divided into two parts, Small Works that addressed small lift stations and Major works which include the treatment plant as well as major pumping stations.

Construction -Major Works- is presently taking place at the Malcolm Park, Flamingo Gardens and the Lynden Pindling International Airport Major Pump Station, as well as at the Fox Hill Pretreatment Facility.

Small Works saw the rehabilitation of at least 10 sewerage pumping stations.

“Installation of 1,000 feet of gravity collection mains and other related works which include earth works, concrete works, electro-mechanical works, installation of standby generators and landscaping works,” Mr. Gibson said.

The sites completed include Nassau Street, Rawson Square, Supreme Court, Vista Marine, Lewis Street, Big Pond and Pinewood.

“The Sewer Master Plan has estimated approximately $600 million to provide sewer services throughout the island of New Providence.

“A study was conducted on the Over-the-Hill areas on the cost to provide sanitary sewer services and this was estimated to be approximately $80 million.

“This is presently being reviewed by the government,” Mr. Gibson said.

As for the Malcolm Park Pump Station location, that sits near Potter’s Cay waters, ISD contract and project manager, Kirk Smith said there is no need to fear, particularly since last year’s conch poisoning scare.

“We knew that this site would be an environmentally sensitive site, but during our construction we had no water or nothing from our construction activities that went into the water body.

“We did all of our disposal of water on site or off site and not in the sea body.

“We are definitely in dialogue with WSC, we knew that was an ongoing concern so we took every measure not to allow or to have anything like that happen for this site,” Mr. Smith said.

The Treatment Plants are set to service residents without private sewerage systems, moving them from septic tanks to a regulated sewer system.

The construction project is anticipated to be complete by the end of this month