Sept. 18, 2006 – Work crews fixed a broken sewer pipe in Frederiksted on Monday afternoon, stopping a week-long sewer spill that contaminated the beachfront, officials said.
Workers repaired a broken pipe flange that spewed sewage, and storm and drain, runoff onto the beach, said Stella Saunders, a Waste Management spokeswoman.
Residents were urged to stay away, said Jamal Nelson of the Department of Public Works.
"It's horrible. There's a playground there," Nelson said.
Saunders said heavy rain had hindered repairs of St. Croix's sewers but that many problems were man-made.
While inspecting some 3,000 sewer lines this year, work crews found many homes and businesses have illegally connected to the sewer lines without permission.
"There are connections not reported, for whatever reason. So part of the process is to find these illegal connections," she said.
Restaurants are at fault too. Many dump grease directly down the drain, clogging sewer lines.
"It may be hot and liquid when it goes down, but it becomes cold and hard as a rock and blocks our line," Saunders said.
Waste Management also isn't sure where all the sewer lines are. Saunders said, after four years of searching, they know where 90 percent of the manholes are, but have asked homeowners to report any manholes they may have missed.
Even repairs and updating equipment can cause problems, she said.
Now that all three of St. Croix's sewer pump stations have new pumps, there is more pressure in the lines, causing the often decrepit pipes to burst.
But Saunders said the situation is improving.
"We've had less spills in the last two years than we did two years (before that)."
Nelson was unsure when residents could return to Frederiksted beach.
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