On July 19th, during the Stakeholders’ Meeting of ATSA with Premier Wever-Croes, the association handed in a letter outlining its main concerns for the upcoming 4 years of governing.
It listed Bubali Plas as a top priority.
“The Sewage Water Treatment plant @Bubali, is about to collapse,” it said, “it is completely outdated, water is not treated properly, water overflows into the sea with bacteria which is a health and environmental threat, and more recently creates a heavy stench and an abundance of mosquitos in the entire Eagle Beach area, especially when it rains. Aruba needs better environmental waste laws to establish a better way of disposing garbage & sewage by local companies. Aruba also needs to find better ways to assure compliance. This must be addressed ASAP, as soon as possible, with an alternative for sewer treatment outside the tourist zone, or if in current location a much improved setup that maintains high standards, and takes all precautions against stench and flies, respecting health and environmental concerns.”
Fact: The island’s Sewer System is Overloaded, and ATSA is majorly concerned, and making its concerns public, for the first time.
While the problem is 50 years old, it escalated in recent years. In June 2019, ATSA found out from a report that based on existing calculations, the aeration system for whatever we deposit into Bubali Plas, cannot achieve the oxygen level required to break it down, and ‘clean’ it. The current efficiency is lower than 50% and has a negative impact on the wetlands at Bubali Plas. Because Bubali Plas runs the overflow into the sea, it may cause irrecoverable damages to marine life. The high level of human waste in the water we dispose into the sea, affects our coral reefs negatively, resulting in beach erosion. Of course, this may affect tourism, but if we WANT tourists, we MUST come up with a treatment plan for their wastewater! This is of MAJOR alarm to ATSA, looking out for people’s wellbeing, as well as marine life, reefs, and fish.
The above quote, shared with Premier Wever-Croes was taken from a report: Preliminary Business Case for RWZI Bubali Aeration System, RWZI=Riool Water Zuiverings Instalatie, a 34-page technical paper by TNO, an independent, apolitical entity. It outlined the potential problems associated with high-risk calamities to our environment. The report also outlined scientific solutions, all concerning Bubali Plas.
In November 2019, in an AHATA meeting, representatives of DOW visited the General Assembly with updates on the outdated Bubali water treatment plant.
In February 2020, the hoteliers were told that DOW will be doing some routine maintenance at the plant using heavy equipment. Having finished the road infrastructure project Bubali Plas was supposed to come next, as it required DOW’s full attention.
While labeled an environmental risk, the project was however plagued by budget & legislation limitation.
Needless to mention that two other DOW projects, Zeewijk, and Parkietenbos, are also labeled inefficient and vulnerable, in essence, our waste systems are extremely overloaded.
And guests at all of Eagle and Palm Beach resorts, are paying the price for this complacency, they complain relentlessly about being assaulted by an unbearable stench of raw sewer and clouds of mosquitos and flies, which the hotels are fighting, with expensive chemicals, with little success.
As stated by DOW’s spokesperson, ultrasound testing performed at the Bubali Plas showed evidence of degrading concrete, exposed rebar, fluid seepage, flaking, and micro cracks.
And taking into account the inspection observations, visual evidence, proximity of the tanks to a high traffic tourist area and the potential for environmental damage, it is highly, highly, highly recommended to start meeting the challenge, NOW.
ATSA is hitting the panic button.
The Bubali water treatment plant was constructed in 1972, but with the population increase, the daily flow and aeration required increased. As mentioned, the current system was supposed to be fixed first, then a new aeration system built, while DOW has become more transparent, it has to continuously share information about its activities with the public, and explore public/private solutions to the challenges.
ATSA fears that Aruba’s government is dragging its feet. Apparently, a Ministerial Council already made a decision that ATA’s calamity fund will finance the project, and in the meeting some hoteliers pledged buying back the gray water, for their gardens, a win-win situation. Farmers will be happy too.
What are we waiting for?
What needs to happen in order to remedy the situation?
