Sewage "terrorists" bent on embarrassing the Turnbull administration have been intentionally clogging the wastewater system in Christiansted for the last year, according to a Department of Public Works official.
Randy Germain, Public Works deputy commissioner for operations, said Thursday that crews caught a man "red-handed" dumping tires into an uncovered manhole Thursday. The incident followed sewage backups Wednesday that caused one downtown restaurant to close and other businesses to contend with foul odors.
Public Works crews responding to the problem ended up pulling out swimming pool filters, hubcaps, books, lumber and boat propellers from the sewer. Once the sewage line was cleared, flows returned to normal, Germain said.
After apprehending the man dumping the tires, Public Works employees called police. Germain said the department will file charges against the unidentified individual.
While Germain conceded that problems with the island’s sewage system date back 16 years, he said the recent incidents that have fouled downtown Christiansted are due to sewer-line blockages. He said that, on more than one occasion, Public Works has cleared debris from sewage lines, only to find new blockages a few days later.
"It’s direct sabotage, and it’s been going on for one year," Germain said, adding that a "bunch of terrorists" are trying to "embarrass" the Turnbull-James administration.
"I don’t know any person who flushes such things from his bathroom," Germain said. "There is no way one could dream of flushing a hubcap down the sewer line."
Meanwhile, a federal judge has ordered Public Works to repair almost the entire sewage system on St. Croix by June 30. If it fails to do so, V.I. government officials could face contempt of court charges.
The order in part calls for the LBJ Pump Station, which is responsible for moving sewage generated in Christiansted on the North Shore to the treatment plant on the South Shore, to be fully operational by the end of June.
When the LBJ station fails, sewage backs up in Christiansted and causes more than a million gallons of raw sewage a day to be discharged into the sea beyond Long Reef in the La Grande Princesse area.
