New Wastewater Treatment System for Belize City

A major upgrade is coming to Belize City’s wastewater system, one the Belize Water Services says will transform how the city treats, filters, and reuses its wastewater. Currently, treated effluent is naturally filtered through mangroves in the Dikes area before reaching the sea. But COO Sanjay Kashwani says a new system will raise Belize City to Belmopan’s upgraded standard, adding advanced treatment, natural filtration, and even the potential for full water reuse in a circular economy.

 

Reina Gonzalez, Belize District Manager, Water and Wastewater

“After all the treatment is done and process is done. We basically – the effluent goes through the mangroves that are there and the mangroves provide an additional filter. Our wastewater effluence are tested monthly. But they go through this series of mangroves, which provide an additional means of filtering that water before it reaches its final destination, which is the Caribbean Sea.”

 

Sanjay Keshwani, Chief Operations Officer, BWS

“They have managed to obtain about ten million US dollar grant from World Bank through government of Belize. So it goes to government of Belize, World Bank and Board – our chairman. With that grant, as recently we have visited the Belmopan Wastewater treatment plant. Idea is to upgrade the Belize City plant to that level and complete the full circular economy. At Belmopan plant you notice we use the dry sludge for fertilizer purpose, but we let go all the water back to the river after treatment once it meets the DOE standard. Our idea is to see if we can use that water for irrigation purpose or anything in Belize City. So it completes the full cycle of circular economy and we get the value out of that as well. But right now we are just putting back into the river. So that’s a plan with Belize City. You are looking at within three to four years time that project’s to be completed.”