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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesPUBLIC WORKS AGAIN DISCHARGING SEWAGE INTO SEA

PUBLIC WORKS AGAIN DISCHARGING SEWAGE INTO SEA

A problem with the fuel distribution system in an auxiliary pump at the Department of Public Works’ LBJ pump station is allowing sewage to flow into the sea beyond Long Reef in the La Grande Princesse area, Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr. said in a release Wednesday afternoon.
He did not say how much sewage was involved and was vague as to when the pump would be repaired, saying only that parts will be available "within the next few days." He recommended that the public avoid the water in the La Grande Princesse and LBJ area in the meantime.
Sewage discharges at the LBJ pump station are not new. During the latter part of last year problems with the station’s pumps forced Public Works to bypass hundreds of thousands of gallons of untreated sewage over Long Reef. Nearby beaches had to be closed, including those in the "condo row" area just west of the pump station.
On May 30, a federal judge ordered Public Works to have the LBJ pump station, along with other parts of St. Croix’s wastewater system, fully operational within 30 days. Judge Thomas Moore told Public Works officials he expected to be informed by June 9 about the status of a six-inch diversionary pump that would be used at LBJ instead of the four-inch pump that caused the most recent discharge.
Moore warned the Turnbull administration that if the June 30 deadline is missed, government employees could face contempt charges.
More information on the current discharge is available from Public Works’ Utilities Division at 773-1290, ext. 2263 or 2264.

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