The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
WQ.288/2021
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
BY THE CONNÉTABLE OF ST. JOHN
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 14th JUNE 2021 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 21st JUNE 2021
Question
Will the Minister advise –
- what measures are being taken by the Infrastructure, Housing and Environment Department to manage the quality of output from the Bonne Nuit sewage treatment plant;
- how often the output is measured for quality;
- whether he will engage with Environmental Health to ensure that the quality of water at Bonne Nuit is routinely measured, given that there is a sewage treatment plant situated in the Bay; and
- whether he and his Department, in considering this matter, take any account of the safety of people swimming next to untested sewage outlets and, if so, what assessment has been made of the safety of swimmers at Bonne Nuit?
Answer
- The Departments telemetry system continually monitors the plant for any faults. The biological treatment in the activated sludge part of the plant is monitored using dissolved oxygen probes to ensure the correct level of treatment is maintained at all times. There is additionally a suspended solids monitor on the outlet to make sure the effluent meets the required standards. We have on call teams working throughout the night who will be alerted if any alarms arise, and the relevant resources are deployed. On the rare occasion that the plant has gone out of specification the outlet gets diverted to a large holding tank which is tankered back to Bellozanne. Bonne Nuit is a miniature version of Bellozanne treatment plant and has the same level of monitoring.
- The output is measured for suspended solids continually. A sample is taken weekly for full analysis to ensure the plant is compliant with the standards required in the discharge certificate.
- The Minister has agreed to ask Environmental Health to carry out a review of all bathing water sampling locations in advance of the next season (2022).
- The treatment plant at Bonne Nuit as at Bellozanne has an ultraviolet plant to ensure the water quality is maintained for this important recreational water.