Neglect caused CGB sewerage system to deteriorate- Carvin Malone
It was announced at a public meeting at the Cane Garden Bay Methodist Church on January 26, 2018 that the community could have a new and fully optimised and automated sewerage system in their community before the end of 2018, bringing an end to sewage on the streets and untreated sewage being discharged into the ocean.
The new sewerage system is estimated to cost $1.5M to about $1.6M and will double the capacity of the existing plant while consisting of fewer pump stations. Only 7 pump stations would be required for the new system.
In a press release on February 9, 2018, Mr Malone said: "Both the Low Pressure Collection system and the Cromaglass systems were flawless during their first 10 years of operation from 1997 to 2007. They have both suffered from maintenance and operation deprivation. On two occasions, proposals though uninvited, were submitted for the upgrade of the systems."
In 1996 his company was given the contract to address the collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater in CGB.
He stated that his company made a decision after intense analysis to install a Low Pressure Sewer Collection System (LPSCS) and a Cromaglass 45,000 gallons per day sewerage treatment system.
Mr Malone further explained that the systems were not given proper maintenance since it was installed.
"It is proven and sadly verifiable that adequate financial and human resources have never been allocated for the effective and efficient operations of either the Low Pressure Sewerage Collection System or the Cromaglass Treatment system. In the 21 years that the 35 pump stations have been in operation the water and sewerage department have not replaced or repaired a single grinder pump in any of the 35 lift stations. Not a single grinder pump has been replaced and yet the system was in operation for over 20 years," explained the local businessman.
Mr Malone pointed out that pumps from the Cromaglass treatment plant was allegedly removed.
He emphasised that the two systems need immediate and effective attention because it will significantly affect the tourism sector and cost millions.
"The present systems of sewerage and other wastewater collection and treatment must be immediately and effectively repaired, restored and made functional. Abandonment of the Cane Garden Bay collection and treatment systems will result in expenditure of millions of dollars in a new gravity collection system that will take years to complete and would be disastrous to the tourism sector for inevitably the proposed seven central pump stations will be neglected, they will fail and they will overflow into the waters of the beach of Cane Garden Bay."
"Cane Garden Bay is to Tortola what the Baths is to Virgin Gorda. Let us protect the people and the economy of Cane Garden Bay together."
"We are not invited' to address the sewerage issues
In an invited comment, Mr Malone told our newsroom, his company has not been approached to address the sewerage issue in Cane Garden Bay, but noted that "it would make sense that they were invited" since they initially installed the system.
"We are the ones who installed them and we are the ones who know what needs to be done and we are the ones who could do it. We weren't asked to do it but if asked we have the ability to do it," explained Mr Malone.
He continued, "One of the striking thing is that as the contractor who put it in, it would make sense to me that we be invited to look at the system for ways of improving or getting it up and running. We are not invited and we should be invited."
During the Cane Garden Bay consultation meeting on January 26, 2018 at the Cane Garden Bay Methodist Church, it was stated that local contractors could bid to undertake the project when it goes out to tender.
He reiterated that the Water and Sewerage Department over the years have done patch work which has not worked, adding that a "holistic approach" should now be done.
"They have not done a complete job, they have basically patched and patched and patching cannot do it. We have to look at it at a holistic approach in terms of doing other infrastructural works that could be done to improve the treatment capacity or the treatment efficiency," he said.
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22 Responses to “Neglect caused CGB sewerage system to deteriorate- Carvin Malone”
Don't you see the road from carrot bay close to banana creat still have land slide over 6months now.am telling you they are confused.