Construction starts in Boca del Rio Pump-lift Station

The Belize Water Service Limited (BSWL) has officially commenced construction on the Boca del Rio Pump-lift Station. The purpose of the pump-lift station is to improve the quality of sewage treatment that residents in the area receive, and to reduce water bed contamination due to sewage seepage. A cost estimate was not disclosed, but after breaking ground on Tuesday, August 26th the station is scheduled to be completed in the next eight weeks. The pump-lift station is being constructed in a government owned parcel of land which was given after lobbying from by The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC). It is located on the corner of Bone Fish Street and Mangrove Drive.
According to BWSL Human Resource and Public Relations Manager Haydon Brown, the main pump for the station has been ordered and ground work is well underway. “The lift station will provide basic control of the sewer waste from the respective homes. The station will process the waste which will later be moved to the treatment plant on South Ambergris Caye,” said Brown. For residents of the area this is a huge step forward, because although the area has been equipped with proper pipe lines for quite some time, the lines were never connected to a central sewage collection station or pump station. This incomplete project has left waste to be haphazardly collected in septic tanks, lagoons and even absorbed into land. These methods of unsafe sewage disposal have had many dire consequences including introduction to fecal matter to the waterbed.
While Brown was unable to state how many stations there are in San Pedro Town, he ensures that each station can, in fact, cater to the location. “These pump-lift stations are strategically placed in areas that require the collection of sewage. They not only deal with sewage collection but also reduced stench secreted by the waste. It also helps to keep the sewage waste more controlled.” Residents and business that will be connected to the pump-lift station will be required to pay a fee for the service. “Within the next two weeks, we will be doing a physical property survey in that area. We are looking at both the residential and businesses waste within the area. There are small and medium-sized businesses within the area, and usually, their size attracts different prices for their connection.”
After the pump-lift station is completed, BWSL will be conducting a survey in the area to determine how many homes and business will be connected to the station. Connection to the pump-lift station is optional but residents are encouraged to connect as it will reduce the environmental stress on the island’s waterbed.