On Wednesday, February 15, the Midweek Nation erroneously reported that “across the road from Bridgetown Fisheries Complex, there is a well overflowing with sewage onto the Princess Alice Highway”.
Officers from the Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources (MTWW), Barbados Water Authority, and the Plumbing Department of the Ministry of Housing, Lands and Maintenance (MHLM), conducted an inspection of the area today, Wednesday, February 15.
They found no overflowing well but located a grease trap belonging to a food stall at the rear of the General Post Office, which serves the Princess Alice Bus Terminal. The grease trap was overflowing with grey water, not sewage. Grey water is simply kitchen water that contains grease and food particles.
It was further discovered that the grease trap was blocked and given the nature of the problem, a private contractor was hired to pump off the water. Plumbing officers from the MHLM then cleaned and serviced the grease trap, and sanitised the wider area. Officials from the MTWW will upgrade the cover of the grease trap.
Previously, the plumbing upkeep of state-owned entities fell under the remit of the MTWW. However, the Maintenance Department was reassigned to the MHLM and therefore MTWW no longer manages these types of matters.
However, both ministries have been collaborating on various initiatives, as well as formalising and regularising areas of responsibility.