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John Boyce, Minister of Health
Dr. David Estwick, vying for the DLP presidency
Denis Lowe, Minister of the Drainage
There was a very lively town hall meeting held yesterday to further ventilate on the vexing issue concerning the deterioration of the environment on the South Coast of Barbados to follow the well attended BLP political meeting held on Sunday night. Successive governments have invested heavily in education and health, the unfortunate and protracted situation playing out on the South Coast begs the BU question if the heavy investment has provided an adequate ROI.
The following comment was posted by John, a prolific commenter on the issue.

– Barbados Underground

John commented on Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary Assessment Report and the South Coast Sewage Plant Connection

So, here’s my thinking at the moment.

There is a standard 3 foot increase in underground water level due solely to tidal fluctuations.

The rain falls … 6 inches plus.

The sluice gate is nailed shut for whatever reason.

It’s operation is the responsibility of the owners of Graeme Hall Plantation … GOB.

The 3 foot fluctuation now occurs on top of 5 feet due to the inability of the water to drain through the sluice gate.

So underground water levels can vary from 5 feet above a zero datum to 8 feet above that datum.

Before, the most it would increase to was 3 feet above the zero datum and that was due to due to an act of God.

Water now “springs” from unlikely places due to an act of man.

Manholes, backyards wherever it is forced by the sea it comes up.

The sewage issues, both from the plant and the development in the watershed make a bad situation worse.

Is Government liable for its handling of the sluice gate?

There is the 1945 conveyance which specifies how the owner of Graeme Hall Plantation is to operate the sluice gate.

Here is what has happened with Mrs. Burke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNWA4_mPdcs&feature=youtu.be

She knows instinctively at 84 that the operation sluice gate has been mishandled and is one of the causes of her problems.

Her residence looks like it is closest to the zero datum

…. and then there are businesses

http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/91384/guests-bolt

It is possible that like Mrs. Burke, this business is also a victim of the handling of the sluice gate?

If it is where I think it is I believe it is a victim too.

Clearly it is suffering loss and it is easily quantifiable.

Does the decision regarding liability of the GOB to the GHNS only apply in the case of the BIT or does it have implications for locals seeking redress for loss through the courts here?

Would the GOB be strictly liable to those suffering loss under the laws of Barbados?

Probably phrased it all wrong as I am not a lawyer but just applying logic which might not be legal!!

… maybe that’s why spring tides are so called!!

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260 responses to “Sewage on the South Coast and TIDES”

  1. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    David

    I need your assist…..what exactly is the govt mouthpiece on this post,trying to say?

  2. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    ACs..ya dummies, things cannot possibly get worse for your fools in parliament than they are right now, their incompetence and neglect of the environment..read raw sewage everywhere..,,, is quite enough for voters to chase them out of parliament…by their own actions or lack of, they are gone.

    The voters will have no sympathy for those liars for ministers, history will be merciless.

  3. David Avatar
    David

    Why bother!

    Just a political partisan.

    >

  4. ac Avatar
    ac

    Artax what is your problem the time is fast approaching when ac/s would not avail self to these vicious attack s. In other words there would be no ac’s to kick around any more
    Hope that would release u of your daily dose of fits and rants
    Btw what happen to PDYR

  5. John Avatar
    John

    I think I have figured out what was going on with the weeping manholes by Big B

    Gentle Breeze is on the western boundary of the GHNS.

    The overflow from the wetlands flowed into that and other properties on the western side.

    Its path is to the main road by Big B and through the drainage trench towards Peronne Gap.

    I still need to go and look closer at the trench.

    Yesterday the manholes were dry.

    The water/sewage has passed.

    Until the next time!!

    If the sluice gate is used as it should there should be no next time.

    It is time for the recommendations of CZMU to be but into action and for the sluice gate to be fixed and automatically control the level of the water in the wetlands.

    Otherwise somebody will get a panicked phone call from a minister at 2 in the morning saying …”run quick and ope it in”!!

  6. John Avatar
    John

    Last Spring High Tide at Bridgetown, Barbados was on Tue 13 Dec (height:0.90m 3.0ft). Next high Spring Tide at Bridgetown, Barbados will be on Wed 28 Dec (height:0.79m 2.6ft).

  7. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    https://www.barbadostoday.bb/2016/12/16/high-surf-advisory-issued/

    But look what ya ogt coming now, I am sure it’s harmless, if there is no rain.

  8. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    Where did the 1B cost for setting the sluice and the swamp to rights come from?

    Have none of them heard of low cost maintenance programmes?

  9. ac Avatar
    ac

    Vincent are u a member of the consultation board if so give them your unsolicited recommendations on savings

  10. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ WW&C
    It is not the high surf you need to worry about.
    It is the comment that follows the article that you should ponder…. 🙂

  11. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    Yeah Bushman..that was the cake..lol

    If they have no shame, it will be good for the voters to make them ordinary citizena again, give them some perspectives to ponder, then again, that is a tall order for a prime minister who believes that burying a goddamn pitchfork takes top priority, over leaking sewage and lack of water to citizens.

  12. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    The theatrics to watch will be the ACs as yardfowls for the opposition having to defend everything the other government will find wrong, they are probably starting to shred documents already cause they know they are not going back there to lead intelligent bajans…but we shall see how all the education will serve the voters.

  13. David Avatar
    David

    Good question Vincent, would have to imagine that consultants will have to be brouht in to do a study.

  14. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ David,

    Consultants brought in for what ?

    The staff at the plant know what the problems are and how to fix them.

    Barbados has competent professionals and workers.

    Fixing the existing problem in Worthing is critical right freakin now.

    They can build a new plant after they have made proper plans to distribute the finders fees and commissions.

  15. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Vincent
    Where did the 1B cost for setting the sluice and the swamp to rights come from?
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Simple arithmetic Skippa..
    We know from Low that it takes at least $5M to retire, but with inevitable devaluation looming, one needs to make that $20M…..especially with the medical costs to be anticipated.

    Normally, concrete contributions would account for substantial kickbacks, but this plastic pipe business has been getting in the way if this gravy.

    Additionally, with the kind of pressure being applied by the likes of Due Dilligence, Artax and the other BU hawks, the best ‘gravy’ that can be managed nowadays is a meagre 2% – mainly by way of kickbacks from consultants and legal services.
    To meet this basic target, the project would need to be $200M, however, as we all know, they move in packs of about five .(..a la CAHILL), so yuh have to multiple the project cost by five….

    PRESTO … we have a $1000M ($1B) project to execute.

    If we are lucky, and the kickbacks can be siphoned off up-front, BEFORE the project even gets started, the country may be able to ‘save’ about $900 M when they graciously “cancel the project’ due to technical concerns raised on BU…..

  16. Michael J. Mayers Avatar
    Michael J. Mayers

    “It is not the high surf you need to worry about. It is the comment that follows the article that you should ponder.”

    From Wikipedia:

    “The idea that a planet-sized object will collide with or closely pass by Earth in the near future is not supported by any scientific evidence and has been rejected by astronomers and planetary scientists as pseudoscience and an Internet hoax … The idea was first put forward in 1995 by Nancy Lieder, founder of the website ZetaTalk. Lieder describes herself as a contactee with the ability to receive messages from extraterrestrials from the Zeta Reticuli star system through an implant in her brain.”

    Right then, looks like that satanic pitchfork at the Garrison really did some damage.

  17. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    Bushman…do you know PRESTO is a card used on the GO trains and buses in Canada, ya can even use it for transfers, but the money disappears in a flash, sometimes ya have to try to remember if ya actually topped up the card, it disappears even quicker than the BLINK card from Chase…lol

    1 billion dollars and all ya will hear about are strokes, heart attacks, aneurysms and hospitalizations, they would eat themselves to death..the good life..lol

  18. ac Avatar
    ac

    This govt has spent the better part of eight years “fixing” yes folks fixing the past govt problems
    How can any one forget Alexander a hot issue that erupted under the blp lasting unresolved for about ten years but only resolved after one year of the new dlp govt
    Or even the most cuurent water problem which the blp had stated was a priority of their govt but was near resolved but until recently the dlp has taken tge reign for seeking redolution
    And now a decapitated inactive sewer plant which never in its inception never show the capacity or capability of sustainable functions but now as usual present govt has to Fix
    So what is the moral of the story never buy a pig in a bag especially if the bag is encrypted BLP

  19. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    And yall forgot the Al Barrack rahrah, which was 37 million dollars or 34 and through spite, wasting 8 years and blaming the other government yall had to pay Barrack 70 million, cause just like with the raw sewage, the lack of water, the roads, the transportation, the QEH, the ZRs, the fithy market…yall got time to waste blaming the other government, letting everything degrade and degenerate in the process, instead of fixing, upgrading and doing ya jobs…idiots.

    And still got the nerve to congratulate yaselves and be proud to be the ” most educated” in the world and Caribbean…idiots.

    Ya mean the post programmed, brainwashed and blighted….

    Burying a goddamn pitchfork. ..steuuupppssss.

  20. ac Avatar
    ac

    Yeah an barrack another million dollar bust which the blp had initiated and given to an inexperieced low level contractor because of sinister motives attached given to the present govt to fix at taxpayers expense
    A list of flaws that even bob the handy man woud shake his head and describe as unbelivable.
    Incoming govts spend time working on projects or programes to enhance or build a country not fixing broken pipes and wading through a pile of sh.it left behind from past govts

  21. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    That is why yall will be thrown out of parliament ACs..yall too stupid to stop the blame game, the electorate is tired of stupid, yall too stupid to understand that it is the job of governments to fix what previous governments did not do for the taxpayers who pay their salaries, yall too stupid to see that government and yardfowls are not put there to receive free money fpr doing nothing but create bribetaking opportunities.

    The electorate is tired of stupid. Yall cannot stay in parliament…be gone.

  22. ac Avatar
    ac

    Finances being used for fixing projects which were poorly planned or not well executed could have been spent in other areas where their is a greater need and where those challenges impact every barbadian way of life
    it is inexcusable that a relatively young project now commands a billion dollars of taxpayers money to fix. Yes there should be a long measuring stick of accountability spread far and wide underscoring why the sewer plant has not performed at optimum level as was promised
    It is unfair that taxpayers must now fit a bill for a relatively new plant and not know the why and causes
    Reason enough that blame should be placed and those accountable made known. Most noticeably is the opposition frontal approach to separate themselves from the problems of the sewer plant a plant which was built and developed under watch and a plant which had serious flaws from the start
    The seriousness of this problem calls for the line of ethics and integrity be drawn in the sand as their is too much of the stake holders money being put into a project whose original cost was exceedingly high having a purpose to rectify and FIX sewage problems in the surrounding communities
    A price of this magnitude to fix is unconscionable to say the least to ask of taxpayers but none the less which is necessary ,however a price which would grow govt debt to another high level and which without doubt taxpayers will have to pay

    #####sowing the wind reaping the whirlwind

  23. David Avatar
    David

    Google+ Calendar Web more Sent Mail [Barbados Underground] Comment: “Sewage on the South Coast and TIDES” Bin B Barbados Underground

  24. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    Whoever is writing todays govt script on BU,needs to start talking in intelligible language.

    What was of interest is that a govt that came to power promising so much(just read Artax’s quotes) can only after 8 year claim of succes is to fixing Alexandras 10 year old problem and because of that all the other promises had to be put on hold……somehow this does not add up or make sense.

  25. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ ac December 17, 2016 at 8:02 AM
    “Finances being used for fixing projects which were poorly planned or not well executed could have been spent in other areas where their is a greater need and where those challenges impact every barbadian way of life..”

    Sounds like something that should have been applied to the Grotto housing project.
    What do you say to that, ac, the one with an excess amount of hindsight 8 years behind the ball?

    Which would you say is more important to a country’s development? Fixing the country’s public sanitation system or building matchbox unoccupied houses for rats to shite in?

    BTW, when is your administration going to implement the project to fingerprint people arriving and leaving Barbados?

    Since it was touted as vital to the security and safety of the country why was it dropped like a hot potato?

    Are you going to blame Mia or Comissiong for the ongoing delay or are you waiting for some terrorist attack to cast blame on poor Mia? Can you imagine what it would have been like at the GAIA when those 15 thousands who came in for the big party in November?

    You should be thanking your luck stars that Comissiong had the foresight through his proactive representation to prevent what would have turned out to be bare bedlam mixed with cat-piss and pepper from the mouths of those returning Bajans.

  26. David Avatar
    David

    What is the latest with the start of the Hyatt? The PM did have his private public meeting onsite a few weeks ago.

    Will they want to build on that side of the island with a sewage plant ‘acting’ up?

  27. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ David December 17, 2016 at 10:00 AM

    The naked emperor has had his big public spectacle of a party which has ended in one big shitty hangover.

    He has now returned to the den of the sleeping giant.
    What do you expect from P M Van Winkle (RIP)?

    The country is back on auto pilot waiting for the next crisis to arise. Most likely a very serious date with the big bad Wolf IMF.

    It seems the 1 $billion in FDI (including the Hyatt investment) promised by the MoF in his August 2016 budget to be coming to Barbados before the end of the year is another pipe dream, thanks to the sleeping giant.

    Now who is Donville Inniss going to blame for this latest cock-up? The BLP, Comissiong his schooldays bête noir or the lazy varmints called public servants the muzzled scapegoats?

  28. COCKROACH DOES READ TINGS Avatar
    COCKROACH DOES READ TINGS

    Well said Barbados Today….yes! cockroach does read too!

    http://epaper.barbadostoday.bb/Launch.aspx?pbid=87ad6005-1972-4d63-92b0-8927eda53c7a

  29. COCKROACH DOES READ TINGS Avatar
    COCKROACH DOES READ TINGS

    Meant to add in – The Editorial of Barbados Today…

  30. ac Avatar
    ac

    The blogger going by the name of Vincent should check the dictionary and look up the word hypocrite
    Further more my comments are directed to govts that make bad decision when on the process of implementing projects and when taxpayers are spent there is an aftermath which give suspicion that the projects present various problems that need to be fix at another high cost at taxpayers expense
    Which bodes well and in effect plays a significant role on escalating high debt
    Govts when elected make promises that are indicative towards progress .However if when a new govt takes control and monies that are regulated for new projects which are then transfered to correcting past projects how then can govt deliver on those promises made
    Therfore it stands well to state and conclude that wether a political blame be placed it is one that is necessary with a high degree of concern and blame applied to the govt judgement calls on how South West project was executed along with an additional burden the project places on society in general

  31. Anonymouse - THeGazer Avatar
    Anonymouse – THeGazer

    side note: Yardfowls and cockroaches don’t agree.

  32. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    There goes my theory as fact, neither the pm nor the ministers can walk and chew gum at the same time, ya will see and hear Fruebdel when there is another pitchfork to bury…lol

  33. ac Avatar
    ac

    If by accountabilty the monies regulated by present govt to fix past govt projects and correct issues
    The monies totaled would be sufficient to pay half
    Of govt debt
    Recently minister of education stated that Combermere cost taxpayers five hundred thousand dollars to fix

  34. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ AC
    Recently minister of education stated that Combermere cost taxpayers five hundred thousand dollars to fix
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    You could really stop exposing the ministers from your party for the female rabbits that they really are….. Dem ain’t paying you…? yuh traitor…!!

    The FINAL hallmark of a tried and trusted jackass is that he has the ability to spend a whole fortune on the most minuscule of problems.

    So when Jones claims that it took $1/2M to ‘fix’ Cawmere …. when any do-it-yourself plumber could fix a broken sewer cover for $30 …you understand the level of rabbit we have in the MoE….
    …and de damn place STILL ain’t fix yet…

    Bushie could have fixed Alexandra in a week …for a Grantley and two Prescods…… while wunna took for ever and spent hundreds of thousands….

    Looka … how much is cost to half-bury the pitchfork….?
    …and what was the purpose again…?

  35. David Avatar
    David

    The latest report about Combermere is that the engineers do NOT know definitively what is causing the problem at Combermere. The $500,000 was spent on what?

  36. Anonymouse - TheGazer Avatar
    Anonymouse – TheGazer

    Glad others are looking at the sums of money involved. I was beginning to wonder if we were using Zimbabwean currency…

    2009 – “The new 100 trillion dollar bill would be worth about $300 in U.S. currency. A loaf of bread in Zimbabwe now costs about 300 billion Zimbabwean dollars — and like most commodities, the price increases every day”

  37. John Avatar
    John

  38. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Barbados seems to have problems that do no occur anywhere else on this planet.

  39. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ Bushie and David, not crossing wunna but if Bajan leaders had sense we would be doing the same as Guyana…..

    “GUYANA – The eGovernment Agency’s Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) is expected to be officially opened in February. ”

    http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/91502/guyana-building-information-technology-centre#sthash.27YWNLk6.dpuf

    Actually Barbados should build a CFEW.

    Centre for Excellence in Feting and Wukkin-up.

  40. David Avatar
    David

    @Hants

    Do you know Barbados has one of the highest Internet penetrations in the Caribbean? Our inability to convert this to GDP output must be a worry.

  41. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    There should be 2 mental health centres set up in every one of the 11 parishes in Barbados, one for minors and teenagers, one for young adults, middle aged and senior persons…nothing that’s happening on the island is logical, it defies logic I say.

    No one on the island should be allowed to present themselves as politicians representing the people without psychological evaluations. .this is very serious.

  42. ac Avatar
    ac

    I have made a case against govt waste attrituble to projects that go bust or never even made it above ground.
    and carried over to present debt
    Since incidents are well known and legend to the blp years of good and plenty

  43. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ David who wrote ” Barbados has one of the highest Internet penetrations ”

    They using the internet for entertainment .

  44. Deeper Depths Avatar
    Deeper Depths

    The BWA has had a team of commercial divers from the USA/TNT in the waters fixing the Needham’s point outfall since Thursday.

  45. John Avatar
    John

    Guess Mia won’t have to go out in a moses after all

    Wouldn’t it have been great to send Seemore with her to row the boat.

    The two could settle their differences out there and leave us in peace!!

  46. David Avatar
    David

    BTI funding $2 Million South Coast sewage fix

    BY: CHRISTINA SMITH 16:54, December 17, 2016 32 VIEWS

    Relief is on the way for some Christ Church residents and business owners who have been crying foul over the sewage issue plaguing them.

    The equipment needed to repair the South Coast Sewage Treatment Plant is estimated to cost around $2 Million and is scheduled to be installed in the next eight to ten weeks.

    This announcement was made during a press conference today, Saturday, organised by the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) and the Environmental Protection Department in conjunction with a number of tourism organizations. They addressed possible solutions to the sewage problems affecting the South coast, particularly Worthing Beach.

    Acting Director of the BWA, Dr. John Mwansa explained the plant came under immense pressure on November 29 when the country recorded more than six inches of rainfall in a few hours. This along with the wear and tear of the equipment accounted for the overflow of sewage onto surrounding properties which forced officials to open the sluice gate onto Worthing Beach and allow the access water to run off.

    “During the first week of November one of our effluent pumps failed and we did not have the capacity to push the effluent out to sea. So we experienced some overflow in the collection system. That pump was repaired then we had another failure a week later.” Dr. Mwansa said in addition to the underperforming equipment some of the collection areas within the sewage catchment areas are low lying and the system experienced water seepage as a result of the manhole covers not being watertight.

    He also reported that some of the joints in the sewer collection system have gotten out of position due to wear and tear of the equipment, one of the manholes in Worthing has an accumulation of grease from connected properties allowing grease to flow into the system and slow down the pipes.

    Dr. Mwansa said the upgrading of the treatment plant equipment will consist of three phases which include getting the effluent pumps running, flushing the sewer collection system regularly and using testing the diffusers to ensure that the effluent can get out to sea.

    “We have ordered additional equipment to replace the effluent pumps. We have also embarked on and intensified our flushing system for our sewer network. We have been flushing the systems at night to try and get some of that grease out of the network, and for the sewer outflow we actually have divers working on the diffusers to clean the existing diffusers and then once we get the new diffusers, which should be coming in January, the dysfunctional diffusers will be replaced.” He admitted the BWA ‘faltered in communication’ in addressing the issue. In light of this, he said the organization has launched a social media campaign to keep the public properly informed. He also said the BWA will be collaborating with the Ministry of Environment and Drainage to monitor water levels at the treatment plant.

    The funding for the treatment plant upgrade is being done by the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc (BTI).

  47. John Avatar
    John

    There should be 2 mental health centres set up in every one of the 11 parishes in Barbados, one for minors and teenagers, one for young adults, middle aged and senior persons…nothing that’s happening on the island is logical, it defies logic I say.

    No one on the island should be allowed to present themselves as politicians representing the people without psychological evaluations. .this is very serious.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    … and yet, these folks all went to heavy weight schools

    So it can’t be they foolish or mad

    Ok, so lets start again.

    Suppose I had a financial stake in a sewage business, my business sent trucks to pump out the septic tanks of businesses and homes.

    The sewage system would probably reduce my income big time.

    All would be going to a plant, being processed and my trucks would be out of the loop.

    It would actually benefit me for the sewage system to be breaking down periodically.

    I would get emergency calls and could charge all sorts of overtime for emergency duty.

    … naaaaaaa

    They must be mad or foolish, that is too Machievellian and far fetched.

  48. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    Ever since Byer overovercharge the Caves by $700,000 dollars for a review of a contract,and not one cabinet minister ask a question and that includes Kellman the book keeper from Haymans Factory,nobody other than the Chairperson who refused to pay it for three years but got no backing from any minister.Now we have another JA minister paying half million dolllars for fixing a sewage problem that still ain’t fix.The Fatted Calf milking the heifer dry.The rallying cry has been since ’08 and will be until they get evicted by on their asses was,is and will be the pledge…..WUNNA HAD WUNNA TIME.NOW IS WE TIME. Wunna pluckers…uh meaning,yuh know what uh meaning.

  49. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    Ah told ya it was a conspiracy by both governments to let that sewage plant degrade to it’s present state, they did not factor in a flood doing in the tourism product, so psyche evals are a necessity, gotta be madness…no other explanation makes sense, as you just told yaself…lol

  50. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    Does nothing cost under half milion, 1 million, 700 million,1 billion in Barados, how do they s quickly arrive at these figures, without providing estimated costs.

    ” We have been flushing the systems at night to try and get some of that grease out of the network, and for the sewer outflow we actually have divers working on the diffusers to clean the existing diffusers and then once we get the new diffusers, which should be coming in January, the dysfunctional diffusers will be replaced.”

    …..so Mia did have accurate information from the divers about those 18 diffusers..

    “He admitted the BWA ‘faltered in communication’ in addressing the issue. In light of this, he said the organization has launched a social media campaign to keep the public properly informed.”

    And that is how crisis and health hazards are addressed.

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