Raw sewage from a manhole near the intersection Watergut and King Cross streets.
Following the latest series of incidents where raw sewage flowed through the streets of Christiansted due to equipment failures at the LBJ Pump Station, the V.I. Waste Management authority has announced a town hall meeting to discuss planned repairs to the facility.
“Wednesday, October 30, we will be having a town hall meeting,” said Lorna Nichols-Minkoff. VIWMA’s communications director. Speaking on the WSTA 1340 AM morning show hosted by George Silcott Jr, Ms. Nichols-Minkoff told the host that WMA officials would be present to field concerns from the community, as will “a stateside team that’s working on the LBJ plant.”
On the agenda for discussion would be planned updates and repairs to the ailing facility, which Ms. Nichols-Minkoff indicated would be funded via grants. “I will definitely keep you updated on that, with dates and times and locations,” she promised listeners.
Friday’s sewage spill resulted in overflowing manholes in the Watergut and King’s Cross areas, prompting the Department of Health to issue a public advisory warning pedestrians and motorists to steer clear of the contaminated water.
In late August and early September, a series of malfunctions at the pump station resulted in raw sewage flooding the yards of area residents three times in two weeks, including on Labor Day. The issues have been blamed on years of neglect.
Area resident Pedrito Encarnacion Jr. told the Consortium that government officials had announced last year that funds had been secured to relocate residents for public health and safety reasons. A promised update on the matter, he said, is now approximately 12 months overdue. The community has experienced sewer line ruptures dating back to before the 21st century, specifically in 1999 and earlier.
