A mechanical failure at the Lagoon Street Pump Station in Frederiksted has caused raw sewage to flow into the gut that leads to the beaches, the V.I. Waste Management Authority said late Tuesday.
Residents have been advised not to swim or fish at the neaby beaches – including Frederiksted, Marley and Dorsch – until the Department of Planning and Natural Resources has tested them to make sure the waters are safe.
The pump failed Saturday, according to VIWMA, causing sewage to be bypassed into the gut.
When Tropical Storm Tomas passed over the island in October, bringing four days of torrential rains, the pump station was flooded. According to the VIWMA announcement, the station was repaired "expeditiously" to return it to service as quickly as possible, leaving it with one pump, limited electrical service and no controls. That pump is now undergoing mechanical failure, the statement said.
The authority said Wednesday its staff and contractors are on the job to repair the station and mitigate environmental effects. The bypass of seage into the gut will be stopped within 24 hours, according to the VIWMA’s statement.
