Latest update February 25th, 2025 10:18 AM
Latest News
- Five dead in road accidents
- 25 helicopter trips required weekly for preparatory work on 7th oil project—Exxon says in EIA
- Israel deploys tanks as assault on occupied West Bank intensifies
- Govt. seeking contractors for $1.9B Parika to Goshen Road project
- GHRA urges Gov’t to follow laws in dealing with US deportation issue
Sewer System abuse a source of concern
– big businesses to be scrutinised
No amount of investment will give value for money unless the system is used for all intent and purpose and this offers a unique challenge for the sewerage system managers at GWI.
As works on the 24 pump stations continue, items such as sewing machines and engine blocks and in some cases persons during construction uprooting chambers, are posing a serious threat to the current system.
But this apparent wanton disregard for the sewer system in the capital city is about to change as the GWI has adopted stringent measures that will land many in the courts to experience the long arm of the law.
“This is a critical aspect in ensuring that our investment is protected, safeguarded and also ensuring that it remains sustainable,” Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali said, with the total agreement of GWI CEO, Uri Chandisingh.
An example of the coagulated grease in a grease trap of a restaurant
They also agree that while the community level will be a major focus, comprising community monitoring of the sewer system, big businesses and hotels will not be spared.
The Minister recently slammed places normally considered as “the untouched levels”, such as the big businesses like hotels and the restaurants that make lots of money but do not consider or see the importance of investing $55,000 to get grease traps.
He said, “This is the kind of lawlessness that we must eradicate, the indiscipline that we must address and I wish to assure the citizens of Georgetown that we are going to have our regulations intact shortly and we are going to enforce and prosecute people.”
Minister Ali said efforts have started through the disbursement of letters to some businesses and in a matter of two weeks, the campaign will begin to ensure that persons and businesses confirm to the standards needed.
When contacted, Timothy Austin, GWI’s Public Relations Officer said most restaurants in Georgetown do not have grease traps and as such the food fats and oils make their way into the drainage and sewerage system.
“This coagulates (becomes semi solid) and forms blockage in the sewer system. In the case of hotels, it has been found too that condoms that are flushed also caused a disruption in the system through
accumulation that creates a blockage,” Austin said.
Kaieteur news has learnt that last week an accumulation of flushed condoms cause sewerage over flow in the compound of a major city hotel. (Mondale Smith)
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