EDITORIAL - Let’s deal with the facts

This island has been grappling with the fall-out related to sewage overflows which have engulfed the South Coast Sewage Project. Even as the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) officials have taken their proverbial lashes for not showcasing the wide scope of their knowledge and the realities of the task to repair an ageing system, some seem to be revelling in the challenges which the system is facing; but for what purpose?

Why should some look to step into a space where our fellow residents are being hampered by a significant problem and seek, through rhetoric, to inflame an already difficult situation?

It should not go unnoticed that the BWA officials have made progress in not only identifying the core issue which has caused the dilemma, but have moved systematically to mitigate against the continued overflow of effluent into roads, homes and businesses in the area.

While we are angry that the situation has reached this stage, we should not resist the urge to place the problem in its proper context. Much like the difficulties which impacted the Bridgetown Sewage Plant in early 2000s, the response, which was criticised then also, required a course of action to determine the underlying issues and implement long-term solutions.

Let us not fool ourselves. The South Coast Sewage Plant itself needs to be modernised. We need to ask if permission was given back in the early 2000s to add domestic consumers to the sewage lines. Was there a plan to handle the increased capacity at the plant? We should seek to find out if with the development of South Coast in the past two decades, can the plant in its current form handle the waste which is being generated? Was the public educated as to the proper disposal of waste matter and the types of materials which cannot be effectively dumped into the sewer system?

This newspaper carried a headline ‘Blocked sewers’ on December 28, 2017, which quoted General Manager of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), Keithroy Halliday, as saying the following: “This is beyond the simple crisis, this is a serious issue. This is a national issue. We need the cooperation of everyone. We need the support of everyone, we need to push forward as aggressively as we can over the next several weeks to bring some closure to the issues that we have.” This is a big deal and it should attract the support of all stakeholders – Government and the private sector.

Note that a $130 000 piece of equipment was seriously affected because of debris which was not supposed to be inside the sewers. It calls for a level of maturity and responsibility. Much in the same way that we complain that roads are flooded when people have blocked gullies and drains through illegal and indiscriminate dumping. Actions have consequences.

So what do we want? Criticism is part of a democracy, whereby issues are pointed out to be addressed. The South Coast matter is being addressed, but clearly some long- and short-term changes have to come out of this. Obviously some institutional strengthening of the BWA’s capacity to handle the plant and its issues are needed, but now we must also hear from the Minister responsible.

This country should hear either through a press conference by Dr. The Honourable David Estwick, Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resources Management, or a Ministerial Statement – sooner rather than later.

We should also have a holistic debate on the design issues, execution and what has brought the project to this stage. No holds barred, just the facts and let the public decide.