Four million gallons of sewage spilled into the waters off Long Reef in the La Grande Princess area before being stopped on Thursday.
Harold Thompson Jr., commissioner of the Department of Public Works, said Friday that repairs to a four-inch auxiliary pump at the LBJ Pump Station had been completed the previous evening.
The auxiliary pump handles sewage flows while contractors work to replace worn-out valves in the 28-year-old facility. It is capable of handling sewage from Christiansted and points east, but only if there are no heavy rains. If the pump fails, sewage backs up in Christiansted.
After the pump went down on Monday, Public Works diverted sewage coming from Christiansted to its waste-treatment plant near the airport into the sea just beyond Long Reef.
District Court Judge Thomas Moore has ordered Public Works to acquire a larger pump to handle large flows, and has also ordered a number of repairs to the wastewater system that must be completed by June 30. The judge has threatened Turnbull administration officials with contempt of court charges, including fines and jail time, if the deadline is missed.
Commissioner Thompson advised the public not to swim in the water from the LBJ area to La Grande Princess until testing results "indicate a negative impact on the water environment."
