POINTE BLANCHE–Homeowners Lloyd Bergland and Helen Minthorn have been experiencing sewage runoff water from the Pointe Blanche prison for several years. They invited The Daily Herald to witness several locations on their property on Merlin Road filled with sewage water.
Since the construction of the Pointe Blanche prison sewage water has made its way downhill and settled on Merlin Road. Bergland built his 12-apartment complex on the street in 1989 before the prison was built. “We had no problems with sewage water back then. They started building the prison and we noticed the problem a year after,” he said.
He added that he had been going back and forth between the prison, Public Works and the Health Department, but every party keeps coming up empty on promises made to remedy the situation.
Minthorn bought her property in 2015 and constructed four apartments. She said she has been complaining to authorities along with Bergland, but nobody seems to care about the sewage issues.
“I went to the Health Department and two inspectors visited the property. They wrote down the problems and said how unhealthy and unhygienic the sewage water is for residents on the property. They left and nothing was done up to this day. I visited Pointe Blanche prison Director Steven Carty and he told me that he is aware of the situation, but the Government has no money to deal with the leakage at the prison,” stated Minthorn.
Suspended Prison Director Edward Rohan had hired a water pumping company two years ago to come on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to pump water at the prison and the leakage onto the property on Merlin Road had come to a complete stop. For two months, there was no water runoff. However, the truck stopped coming, according to the residents.
“I called the current director Mr. Carty several times, but he hung up the phone last time we spoke. I want the public and Government to know what is going on here. The mosquitoes are unbearable and the water settling on the property is causing an unhealthy situation for me and my tenants. Recently a tenant had no choice but to leave my apartment,” said Minthorn.
Contractors recently had to dig trenches to place cables, but the runoff water hampered works and they had no choice but to pull out. The residents want the prison to be responsible and dispose of its runoff water the proper way and come with a solution quickly. Bergland and Minthorn also want the relevant Government departments to do their jobs and do something about the unhygienic situation on Merlin Road.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/67062-merlin-road-residents-fed-up-with-jail-sewage-water
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