AN OPEN AND FRANK DISCUSSION on sewage treatment in Barbados needs to be had as only a very small portion of the island’s population actually spends any money on treating its sewage.
It would also be great if the media got to learn from lending agencies like the Inter-American Development Bank and Caribbean Development Bank about how they finance water and sewage upgrades, how long the process takes, who pays etc.
Then ask that the Barbados Water Authority to share various reports that have assessed their operations and made recommendations for improving services.
Infrastructure, for many places in the world, gets the short end of the stick where funding goes. Services like water provision are heavily regulated, many times with people paying way lower for what they are getting. This should certainly be a time of enlightenment for all in terms of budgets allocated to manage a utility that is also the largest consumer of energy in an island where the cost of electricity is extremely high.
The Fair Trading Commission website provides great details also on how to hold the utility accountable – recommendations at least – that were distributed prior to stakeholder consultations this year.
Always found it interesting that I could go to one of the most expensive hotels in Barbados and see a truck pumping from their septic system, followed by workers washing the place down just next to the elevator that takes you to the beach. That pumped material then ends up at the South Coast Sewage Treatment Plant. In this day and age, that they are allowed to use simply a septic system is mind-boggling.
– PROFESSOR MAYA TROTZ