WESTERN BUREAU:
CONCERNED THAT a sewage treatment facility is not in place to meet the current spate of developments taking place in Falmouth, the town's mayor, Jonathan Bartley, is urging the National Water Commission (NWC) to act quickly to stave off a possible environmental disaster.
"Currently, only the Falmouth Gardens housing scheme and the Falmouth Hospital are linked to the system," said Mayor Bartley.
UPGRADES NEEDED
"We need to have it upgraded soon because we have a problem with backflow from the sea and that is where most of the sewage goes, as most residents and businesses use absorption pits or septic tanks.
"I want to say to the NWC that they need to get cracking with the upgrade. When you drill into the ground, you encounter water as little as four feet down and each time it floods, we are really staring disaster in the face," the mayor pleaded.
PLANS IN PLACE
Charles Buchanan, corporate public relations manager at the NWC, in responding to the concerns, told The Gleaner that plans to develop central sewerage services in coastal towns by 2020 were well under way, although a timeline had not been established for Falmouth.
"We understand that it is the desirable objective for the sewering ... of Falmouth; we are currently involved in massive sewerage undertakings but at present there is no timeline for implementation in Falmouth," said Mr. Buchanan.
He added that the process was costly and that the NWC was in the process of sourcing funding. He stated that in the interim, the local planning authority, in this case the Trelawny Parish Council, should ensure that new developments account for proper waste disposal.
