Effluent-free water for sea bathers in San Fernando

SEA bathers and fisherfolk have welcomed the commissioning of the San Fernando Wastewater Treatment Plant as it means they would no longer have to bathe in effluent that would have found its way into the Cipero River and Gulf of Paria in the past.

The plant at Gulf View, San Fernando, formally commissioned by Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales on Friday morning, signals effluent-free water in which to bathe.

San Fernando West MP and Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Faris Al-Rawi said he looks forward to the clean water for sailing, dragon-boating, swimming and the use by Hindus for prayers.

In her address, Carina Cockburn, country representative for the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) which partnered with Government to establish the plant, said the untreated waste which enters into the water to the detriment of plants, animals and humans is not something that is spoken about.

“Today’s commissioning ceremony marks a major milestone in the wastewater sector of TT. As someone who has been involved with this project on the IDB side since 2016, I can attest that the road to get here has not always been easy,” Cockburn said.

“Nevertheless, with the persistence of dedicated partners, San Fernando and surrounding communities will now benefit from the collection of wastewater from businesses, industries and homes for proper treatment in this modern facility which has a capacity to treat 45 million liters of wastewater per day. That’s wastewater that is no longer being discharged into the Cipero River and by extension into the Gulf of Paria.”

Another benefit is that the risk of harmful exposure to untreated sewage and the emission of noxious gases such as hydrogen sulphide has been significantly reduced.

“It has been well documented, that these gases can have adverse health effects on humans such as respiratory diseases and intestinal diseases for bathers or those who ingest untreated water from rivers and streams.

“This is not an area that people speak a lot about, but wastewater treatment is therefore critical for the protection of the environment and the health of both humans and animals.

“Treating wastewater, is also a way of preserving water resources via a circular-economy approach, as high-quality treated wastewater such as that produced by the Malabar and San Fernando WWTPs can be re-used in certain applications.”

In that regard, she said, TT is well equipped with skills and expertise to test and evaluate the reuse options for treated wastewater as well as for bio-solids that are produced as a by-product of the treatment process.

She said the IDB would be happy to support this endeavour as there is still more to be done.

“The sewer network must be built out to connect more businesses, industries and homes to the system in order to use the plant to its full potential.

“A lot of money has been spent to construct this facility and so the plant must be adequately staffed, operated and maintained so that it can function optimally over its lifetime and contribute to protecting the environment for future generations.”

She commended the hard work of the project executing unit at WASA, AECOM, the supervising engineers and AAA the contractor for completing the milestone project.

"I would also like to commend the Government for its vision in making this investment for the benefit of the citizens of this country. We at the IDB remain committed to our mutual goal of improving lives and achieving sustainable development in TT.”