A long-term solution to GWI’s dumping of backwash into the Church Street canal is possible

Dear Editor,

Since its inception, Guyana Water Inc’s (GWI) water treatment plant at the Shelter Belt has been dumping the backwash from its filters (sludge) into the Irving and Church Streets canals thereby silting them and clogging the drainage system. This dumping by GWI only becomes a problem during the rainy season when the silted canals are unable to convey their designed capacity of floodwaters to the sluices/pumps and the back-up run-off inundates adjoining lowland properties in the city causing extensive damage.

A few days ago personnel from Georgetown City Council (M&CC) and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (LGRD) met at the site for a photo-op in an attempt to assure the citizenry that once again they will be examining the situation with a view to finding a lasting solution to a recurring problem.

Unfortunately over the years neither the M&CC nor the LGRD has put forward any concrete proposal to resolve the problem in the long term, but only to pacify flood victims in the short term by providing a dragline with two trucks to partially de-silt the canals when flooding occurs – a show that something is being done. As an affected citizen I wish to suggest the following proposal as a long-term solution to this festering problem.

There is a plot of M&CC land between Vlissengen Road and Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, bordering Church Street on the north and North Road on the south. A compartmentalized settling pond could be dug on this site 5ft below grade and empoldered by a low dam built with the excavated soil. Two low level weirs constructed on the dam will allow sediment free water from the pond to discharge safely into the Church Street and North Road Canals.

The silt laden backwash from the treatment plant could be pumped into the settling pond. Over time the pond will be silted but its compartments could be selectively allowed to dry and the accumulated silt excavated and trucked away to a suitable dumpsite. The pond could also be used to rear tilapia and provide a recreational facility for anglers, if properly managed.

In effect the settling pond will function as an enlarged septic tank with no smell.

 

Yours faithfully,
Charles Sohan