Claudia Gardner, Hospitality Jamaica Writer

Department heads and civic leaders in the parish of Hanover have renewed calls for a central sewerage system for the town of Lucea in light of the impending expansion of the town's tourism and housing sectors.

According to them, government ministries need to act quickly to stop the seepage of sewage into the Lucea Harbour, which is not only a human health hazard, threatening to destroy the coral reefs there, but is affecting fishermen in the area.

"We have to put in a central sewerage system at all costs," president of the Hanover Chamber of Commerce (HCoC), Theo Chambers, told Hospitality Jamaica.

"With the development of the new Fiesta hotel, proposed new gated communities in Lucea and its environs, we cannot continue without a central sewerage system, or we will destroy our reefs and fishing industry. We need it urgently and every building should be connected because we must protect our environment."

Mr. Chambers said the HCoC would be taking steps to have urgent meetings with the relevant government ministries and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) to get discussions under way as soon as possible.

sewerage system long overdue

Cementing the sentiments expressed by the Chamber president, Hanover Parish Development Committee (HPDC) Chairman, Nerris Hawthorne, agreed that central sewerage system for the town was long overdue.

"Even without all these major developments, we needed it. I am delighted that the chamber is going to take on the task because the HPDC tried sometime ago, and we didn't get very far. I made a statement about the condition of the harbour, as chairman, and I was stopped in my tracks because people took offence."

Jamaica Labour Party caretaker for Western Hanover, Donovan Hamilton, said he has first-hand experience of sewage flowing into the harbour. He said many of the buildings on the coastline had soak-away pits, which results in sewage seeping into the harbour.

A cursory review of water-quality sample results taken by the NEPA in August 2003, revealed elevated level of nitrates phosphates and faecal coliform in the Lucea Harbour. At the mouths of the Lucea east and west rivers, faecal coliform levels were eight times the accepted marine recreational water quality level.

Lucea is filthy

"If you dig three feet, you are below sea level. If the tide rises one foot, or if there is rain, many of the pits have to be drawn. The entire Lucea is filthy, and if we are to think about expansion of the town, and attracting tourists, we have to have a central sewerage system. If we want to preserve our reefs and beaches, it is a must," Mr. Hamilton said.

Chief Public Health Inspector for Hanover, Derrick Storer, confirmed to Hospitality Jamaica it was impossible to get rid of the sewage seepage problem since most of the town lies below sea level.

"What Lucea needs is a modern sewerage plant where every householder connects to it. This should not only be done in Lucea, but in all of Jamaica's coastal towns. We asked people to build septic tanks because some people had just their pipes out into the sea."