Modern Wastewater System Coming to Caye Caulker

Life on Caye Caulker could soon get a major upgrade. Cabinet has given the green light to a wastewater project that aims to finally bring a modern, reliable sanitation system to the island, and that means real changes for the people who live and work there every day. Belize Water Services will take on the job, replacing the aging septic tanks and small treatment units that many residents have long worried about, both for their health and for the fragile marine environment around them. Tonight, BWS’s resident consultant engineer, Ervin Flores, explains why this project isn’t just overdue, it’s critical for the island’s future.

 

Ervin Flores, Consultant Engineer, BWSL

“This project has been in the pipeline here at BWS for quite some years, about five years more or less. I mean, we all know the situation in Caye Caulker. So while they do enjoy potable water services from BWS, one of the major gaps that is affecting the island is the lack of a proper sanitation system, a wastewater system. So we have been working with the IDB in developing this project for Caye Caulker. And in the past five years, we’ve completed numerous studies, feasibility studies and analyses of alternatives and detailed designs for a wastewater system, a full system that not only treats, but also collects wastewater from the different homes and businesses in Caye Caulker. So what the approval is about is regarding the loan component of this project, which is estimated at about 10 million US dollars.”

 

The government will now seek approval from the House of Representatives for approval to enter into a sovereign-guarantee agreement with the IDB to secure funding for BWS.

 

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.

 

Watch the full newscast here: