St. Thomas’ Bovoni and St. Croix’s Anguilla landfills will be closed until 8 a.m. Saturday while the V.I. Waste Management Authority evaluates the condition of the roadways after Friday’s torrential rains, according to the WMA.
Heavy rainfall brought a massive amount of storm water into the sewer system, causing overflows in certain areas throughout the territory, according to a statement from WMA. The utility advises residents to avoid areas where manhole overflows are known to occur and to be extremely cautious driving through standing water.
Excessive water-flow has popped the manhole west of the Holger Danske Hotel on King Cross Street in Christiansted.
The current condition of the sewer lines allows for the inflow and infiltration of storm water into the sewer system and may exceed the pumping capacity at various pump stations which carry the flow from residential areas to the wastewater treatment plants. Until the rains and the run-off subside, the sewer collection system will continue to be impacted. The Figtree Pump Station has been bypassing intermittently since this past weekend due to the heavy torrential rains.
Maintenance work continues on the Figtree Pump Station, but the influx of rainwater has intermittently overwhelmed the station, exceeding its capacity and causing it to bypass the sewer system, according to WMA. The Authority was in the process of cleaning and removing debris from the facility’s wet well and is being delayed by storm water infiltration.
New house pumps are currently being installed in the Figtree Pump Station. While this work is being conducted, the station is being operated by a back-up diesel pump. The Authority mobilized a second diesel pump to assist with flow control.
The Figtree Pump Station has been bypassed several times in the last couple of years and problems there early last year prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to file suit in U.S. District Court. As recently as April, the court issued an order requiring WMA to file a report within 30 days describing the status of each of the roughly 75 pumps at its 30 or so pump stations, saying what pumps are working, which are not and what the repair plan is. The order gives WMA 90 days to ensure all the pump stations are operating at all times, with at least one backup pump available.
Residents are asked report any overflows to the WMA at our Customer Service Line at 713-1962 or 774-4139 during regular business hours. You can also report a problem on the WMA website or call 340-690-4218 after hours.
