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$400,000 sewer infrastructure upgrade at Arawak Cay finished

Photo: Dante Carrer

Photo: Dante Carrer

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

A $400,000 sewer infrastructure upgrade at Arawak Cay has been completed, improving sanitation and efficiency at the site. 

The project was carried out in two phases, with the first finishing in April and the second in December. The lack of a proper sewerage system had impacted Arawak Cay for years, creating an unattractive look and smell. The upgrades included a $130,000 expansion to increase water flow during peak times and improve waste management. 

Agriculture Minister Jomo Campbell praised the collaboration between public servants and agencies.

“It is the testament to the work of this administration to ensure that businesses and the general public at large are getting the best at what it is that this country has to offer,” Mr Campbell said yesterday.

The second phase faced delays due to tidal issues.

Leyvon Miller, site operations manager at Arawak Cay, highlighted the need for the upgrades.

He said clogged pipes were caused by accumulated grease and debris over the past five to seven years. As part of the upgrades, pipe sizes were increased from eight to ten inches, and the Water and Sewerage Corporation will jet the new lines to prevent future blockages. 

The expansion also included the installation of an Industrial Bulk Container (IBC) to store excess oil, ensuring the system can handle the volume of waste cooking oil generated by food vendors. Mr Miller said the upgraded sewer system has “more than sufficient capacity” to support the Fish Fry’s needs, provided it is used correctly.

“The only thing this system isn’t built or designed to withstand is abuse,” he said. “What we are working on now is public education on how we separate the waste so that the waste is managed in such a way that the system is ensured to have as much lifespan as it possibly can.”

Rodney Russell, president of the Arawak Cay Conch, Fish and Food Vendors Association, welcomed the improvements and urged business owners to maintain the facility.

“This is a significant day in the life of the Bahamian people here at Arawak Cay,” Mr Russell said. “It is an overdue facility that most business owners were looking forward to for some time, and with the good minister here, he decided to assist us in taking Arawak Cay a step forward.”

Mr Russell stressed the importance of proper use.

“This Fish Fry does not only belong to the business owners of Arawak Cay but to the Bahamian people,” he said. “We ought to show those who come to see that we can follow procedure in making sure that this facility is used properly. If we have persons not using these facilities properly, I will advise all business owners to report it to me, and we will sit down with the police on Arawak Cay to ensure that this facility is used properly.”

The 32 business owners at Arawak Cay will benefit from the upgrades, which also include a new oil dumping site to improve waste management.

Comments

carltonr61 3 weeks, 1 day ago

Great! Now open Fort Charlotte gate that the carnival is gone. People ready to return to healthy lifestyle giv slwsyscpreaching about.

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