Elizabeth Gonzales
Tobago Correspondent
Raw waste has been leaking into the sea at Mt Irvine Beach in Tobago, raising public health concerns as beachgoers continue to swim just metres away from contaminated water.
At the beach yesterday, there was a strong stench near the public washroom, where two damaged waste systems—an underground sewer catchment and a grease trap—were linked to the overflow. A waste disposal truck was on site suctioning wastewater from the catchment, but no warning signs or public health notices were posted to alert beach users.
Mt Irvine resident Duane Kenny, who recorded and shared a video of the waste flowing towards the sea, said the problem had been ongoing for years and had resurfaced three weeks ago.
“I went and checked it out and noticed that it was free-flowing into the sea and people were swimming in the ocean … water was overflowing over the catchment area into the public drains and just going right into the sea,” he said.
Kenny said he has been monitoring the system for weeks and has repeatedly raised concerns with officials without any long-term solution.
“The sewage system, which is behind us, has leaks in the bottom because it’s a metal system. So you do have raw effluent flowing into the sea from time to time. It does get fixed, but unfortunately, it’s a metal system. So these are just band-aids… they need a whole new system put in there,” he said, estimating the replacement cost at $1 million. Former TRHA chairman Dr Denise Tsoiafatt-Angus says the situation poses a serious health risk and should have triggered an immediate response.
“They ought to be doing testing of the water to check for faecal matter … perhaps an advisory should have gone out that the beach is closed until further notice,” she said.
Despite the contamination, people continued to bathe at the beach. One visitor from Trinidad said she felt uneasy about the smell but continued swimming because no warning was issued to the public.
Secretary of Health Dr Faith Brebnor said she is looking into the matter.
