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#136715 06/12/01 09:41 AM
Joined: May 2001
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ChrisW Offline OP
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From the Reporter:


Isla Bonita's sewer system 50% unused

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The $23 million dollar water sewage treatment system for San Pedro Town is more than 50% under-utilized. Only about 30% of the island residents are connected to the system, Green Reef conservationist Mito Paz told a meeting of international conservationists and tourism representatives at the Belize Yatch Club last Friday.

The prohibitively high cost, close on $2,000, of hooking up to the system is a stumbling block. Belize Water Services Ltd. chief executive officer Peter Wrench explains why, "San Pedro's cost is very high, because we are buying a bulk supply of water from another company named "Belize Water", under a very difficult contract. We are losing money in that area seriously, and that is a problem we have to address; but we are tied into a contract that binds us hand and foot."

Previously to hook up a water or sewer line, there were no existing costs. Presently there is a $150.00 cost for connection to the water supply and a condition of that connection is that the householder must also connect to the sewer system. No sewer hookup, no water hookup! The sewer connection costs $1,650.00! It was agreed that the Infrastructure Expansion Project should be financed mainly by its charges thus falling on the consumer, this was passed into law in January.

Wrench put it in a nutshell: "You do not get anything anywhere for nothing. Whether it is a taxpayer or tariff payer, someone has to pay. If we are putting in water and sewage to a house, either that house pays for it; or all the other people paying water bills pay for it. One way or another, it must be paid; and it was felt that the people who directly benefit from it must pay for at least of half it."

The system is designed to hold sewage while it is treated and eventually surplus water would be run off on the leeward side of the island, but Green Reef's Mito Paz told the meeting that at present the plant produces no runoff because of the small volume of sewage being treated. The fact that the sewer system does not extend to the new housing areas means that apart from the large hotels, most other residents are still relying on their septic tanks.

This means a $23 million investment is largely going to waste! The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), with the support of the Belize government, borrowed $23 million dollars to expand the reverse osmosis water treatment plant and build the sewer system for the island in 1996. The move made economic sense after reef conservationists sounded the alarm that the overflow from island residents' septic tanks was contaminating the ground water of the island. Aside from the health hazard it posed for residents drinking well water, the possibility of sewage damaging the reef, threatened the sustainability of the island's tourism industry.

When the plant became operational, government warned WASA's clients in the rest of the country that WASA would need to raise their water rates to help pay the cost of the loan, but that the sacrifice was deemed necessary to protect a national treasure: the Barrier Reef.

In the late 80's when WASA first introduced sewers in Belize City, most homeowners got a $80 subsidy from WASA to hook up to the sewer system. At the time, the sewer project funded by a loan from the Canadian International Development agency (CIDA), and $80 bought a lot more 4-inch pipe than it does today.

#136716 06/12/01 12:01 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
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This sounds like bereaucracy everywhere. The return on the investment needs to be looked at as a community value, calculated over a reasonable time frame and thus made affordable to everyone. The very fact that the system is 50% utilized is proof that if the original arguments for it's existence were valid, the problems still exist. WASA should realize that 100% of nothing is still nothing and 50% return isn't much better. It would seem reasonable for the BTB to look into assistance from the government if the reef is truely at risk. Once again we see overbuilding ahead of infrastructure to support it due to the greed of a few. Ah monopolies! WASA, BTL, BEL, etc. WAKE UP BELIEZE or you will lose the very thing that sets you apart and makes you special. As a resident who plans to spend the rest of my life there, I am concerned.

#136717 06/12/01 01:52 PM
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Sounds like the whole thing was poorly planned. In general, people will ALWAYS migrate towards the cheapest solution. By cheapest, I mean the one that costs the least amount of cash today. Any long term impact or costs of the solution are not thought about. Part of the government's job is to lead people away from this short sighted approach and into better solutions.

Expanding the sewage plant was the right idea, but they did not follow through and lead the people to the better solution. To make it work, owning a septic tank must become more expensive then using the sewage plant.

Governments control prices through taxes, subsidies, and laws. Any or all of these can be used to correct the sewage problem.

However, most officials seem more intent on using pricing controls to line their own pockets rather then using them to do some good.

#136718 06/12/01 04:37 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
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My small town in South Texas, charges $1500.
for water and sewer connections, and cannot have one without the other, and no wells or septics allowed.


Dare To Deviate

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