Frederiksted’s Lagoon Street Pump Station sewer force main line is back in service after being offline since sometime before June 3, but the Department of Planning and Natural Resources wants residents to wait for them to test the water before swimming.
DPNR issued notice June 3 that the sewer force main line east of the St. Patrick’s School playground failed. Sewage was diverted through the Pan Gut into Frederiksted Beach during the repair. Over the weekend, the gut took on a gray appearance and septic aroma.
The V.I. Waste Management Authority assigned one of its listed emergency contractors to excavate the site and evaluate the cause of the leak. Repairs were completed Sunday at 1 p.m. according to a statement from DPNR. The work included the excavation and replacement of approximately 30 feet of the collapsed 20-inch sewer line. The connecting line was cleaned before placing the pump station online. Backfilling and compaction were to be completed by Tuesday afternoon.
Because of potential contamination from the sewage, those with weak immune systems should avoid the water near Pan Gut around Frederiksted Beach until DPNR’s test results are in.
DPNR’s regular beach water quality reports and other public notices can be found here: http://www.dpnr.gov.vi/notices.htm
