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HomeNewsArchivesBroken Sewer Line Forces WMA to Pump Sewage into Sea

Broken Sewer Line Forces WMA to Pump Sewage into Sea

May 3, 2006 — A rupture in the force main sewage line from Christiansted to the LBJ Pump Station has forced the V.I. Waste Management Authority to pump the sewage over Long Reef.
The crack was discovered about 2 a.m. Wednesday, according to a release from VIWMA.
The force main line is a gravity-fed line that carries sewage from one area to the next, the VIWMA spokeswoman Stella Saunders said.
The Department of Planning and Natural Resources followed up the WMA release with their own cautioning the public to avoid the areas around the affected force main and guts in the JFK Housing Community. DPNR is also advising that children and adults with compromised immune systems should avoid the above mentioned areas and impacted beaches, to include Christiansted Harbor and Princesse Condo Row. Standing or running water in these areas may contain contaminants or pollutants harmful to human health. DPNR will continue to monitor the impacted area, the release said.
"We hadn't had a break in two years," Saunders said, adding "And now we've had two in a month." The last one was on April 6.
The authority is working with a contractor to repair the broken line. It is expected it will be replaced within 72 hours. Meanwhile, the affected areas are being deodorized and disinfected. That procedure will continue until the problems are corrected.
A collapsed sewer line is suspected of contributing to the problems, the release said.

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