Malone recently asked Minister for Communications and Works Kye Rymer a series of questions in the House of Assembly (HOA) about the cost and roll out of the CGB project.

The sewerage project in that community is a part of the government’s national sewerage programme for the territory.

Among other things, Malone questioned what factors were taken into consideration when the decision was made not to replace or repair grinder pumps as recommended, after 20 years of service.

According to Malone, it has now been eight years since a staff engineer of the Water and Sewerage Department (WSD) recommended the abandonment of the Low-Pressure Collection System installed in 1997 in favour of a hybrid gravity system.

Expensive maintenance and repairs

Rymer noted in his response that Malone’s company, Caribbean Basin Enterprises, was previously contracted in 1996 to execute works on the project under a former administration.

However, the minister explained that, over the years, WSD personnel found the maintenance and upkeep more and more challenging. “The system required a high level of technical expertise that resulted in the system being inoperable for long periods of time while being repaired,” Rymer told the HOA.

He said it was expensive to provide for the electricity and replacement parts for the 36 pump stations. In addition to the maintenance costs, he said a number of civil issues arose when repairs were required on the pumps located on private property.

Major environmental hazard

Rymer further explained that the pump stations were constructed of fibreglass and placed in areas that were susceptible to high saline conditions, resulting in the pump stations collapsing overtime as the fibreglass was unable to withstand the environmental conditions.

The minister said this created a major environmental hazard to the CGB area.

As a result of this, Rymer said the government embarked on a $4 million project to improve the entire sewerage system in CGB to include the sewerage collection system and the CGB treatment plant, the first phase of which was completed in May 2022.

Rymer said this project will address all of the challenges mentioned with sewerage treatment and collection in the area.

But Malone, after being given answers on the cost estimates and timelines for the project, asked whether it was too late to sit with the District Representative to “rethink this project”.

Second District Representative Melvin Turnbull said he would be willing to meet with Malone at anytime.