Port Expansion Project Faces Serious Drainage Questions

Concerns over public health took center stage at Wednesday night’s consultation in Port Loyola. Resident Dr. Abraham Flowers pressed developers for answers, asking whether a proposed mangrove island could block the flow of wastewater from the nearby sewer treatment plant. Right now, that drainage runs directly through the port’s property, and Flowers worries that without proper planning, sewage could back up, creating serious health risks for families who live in the area. Tonight, we take a closer look at his concerns and the response from project officials.

 

Dr. Abraham Flowers, Port Loyola

“Up to now, I have not heard anything about the sewer management pool which we call the dike, which literally right now what we are seeing is that it is literally affecting the people in Port Loyola in Jane Usher Area, for being more specific, Faber’s Road and the Central Region, which is Freedom Street, Malcolm Street and Unity Street. There is nothing mentioned about that. That is super important. So if these urine defecation product does not flow off then it will flow back into these residential areas.”

 

Allan Herrera, Local Environmental Consultant, NEXTERA

“When the outflow reaches the stream there, you will notice from the presentation that the stream flows into the canals. So that is going to be passed over into the canal within the mangrove islands and flushed out. So there is no impediment and constraints there in terms of the company and the company needs to speak for itself. But there was no impediment pointed out to me. So that state of affairs is expected to continue in its present form.”

 

BWS Scolds Gegg for “Misguided Anger and Lack ff Information”

 

Businessman David Gegg did not attend last night’s public consultation. The developer is fighting to save his Port of Magical Belize project, but his latest comments have stirred up unnecessary alarm. He blasted Belize City’s wastewater system, leaning on a debunked 2025 study to claim it poses a major risk. Belize Water Services is firing back. The utility company says Gegg’s comments are flat‑out misinformed and ignore years of upgrades already in motion. BWS points to millions invested in dredging the lagoons and moving toward a modern tertiary treatment system with international support. Executive Chairman Cornelio Acosta says the criticism shows a lack of engagement, not a failing wastewater system.

 

Cornelio Acosta, Executive Chairman, Belize Water Services

“I think that it shows some, maybe some misguided anger and some lack of information. I think he could have approached and asked what are the plans. I know the port developers have approached us. The Department of Environment has also approach us and asked what were the plans for Belize City. Now that facility hasn’t been improved for I think, what, thirty, forty years. The board five years ago had instructed that we put wastewater and sanitation as a priority for BWS, and we have been doing that. Over the past two years. We’ve invested more than six million dollars in improving our facilities. We started dredging that lagoon. We got – recently got a grant from the World Bank to now create that primary treatment facility into a tertiary treatment facility with a UV station at the end to ensure that the water the water that is being treated right comes out on meeting standards. It’ll be a facility similar to the one in Belmopan – you have been to the one in Belmopan and we’ve had several visits from the World Bank as well. So that project starts I think closer to the ending of April. So like I said, you could have approached and we could have explained to him what were the plans. So by the time that whichever project starts, we are going to have definitely have a better system than what we have now.”

 

BWS says all the panic could’ve been avoided if Gegg had simply asked for the facts.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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