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In its bid to address the
National Water Commission’s (NWC) malfunctioning sewage treatment
plants, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has
recommended to the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) a number of
sewage treatment plants (STPs), island-wide, for immediate action.
These plants are to be rehabilitated during the 2008-2009 tariff
cycle.
The project which is a
collaborative effort with the Ministry of Health and Environment (MoHE)
requires the NWC to provide funding through use of the ‘K’ Factor
which is a portion of its charges for sewage services. This will be
placed in a fund on a monthly basis with the aim of upgrading
malfunctioning sewage treatment plants. The OUR will monitor the
fund, while NEPA will review the compliance plans which will serve
as the basis for rehabilitation works.
The project aims to
rehabilitate sewage treatment plants which generate sewage effluent,
the quality of which has been of poor standards. Special emphasis
will be placed on private, as well as Government owned facilities.
NEPA has requested a plan of action from the NWC regarding the
upgrade works.
Fifteen plants are earmarked
for the first segment of the programme. These include: East
Prospect; Springfield; Bay Farm Villas; Barbican Mews; College
Green; Elleston Flats; Hughenden; Bridgeport; Greater Portmore
Ponds; Horizon Park; Independence City; Nightingale Grove; Lionel
Town; Longville and Mineral Heights.
The NWC did not give a start up
date for work on the Harbour View Treatment Plant which is of
greatest concern. Based on a tariff regime provided by the OUR, this
leg of the project has been targeted for special attention. $490M is
required to begin work on the project. Additional NWC estimates
indicate that a total of $947.7M is needed to rehabilitate the
entire list of priority plants, as outlined by NEPA.
The OUR has set a three-year
timeframe within which the plants that are identified by NEPA, as
priority, will be rehabilitated. Detailed guidelines on the
procedures for the administration of the fund will be issued as a
separate proceeding by the OUR.
Administration and monitoring
of the programme will be done by the OUR and NEPA. The OUR indicated
that it will cost $1,000M to fund the approved capital programme to
rehabilitate existing treatment facilities. NEPA is soliciting the
public’s input in giving information for the verification exercise.
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