Sewerage upgrade for Cane Garden Bay starts 19 October

The Ministry of Communication & Works is moving forward with a major overhaul of Cane Garden Bay's sewerage infrastructure, shifting from a network of decentralised lift stations to a modern gravity-based collection system.

Construction begins Monday 19 October on the Cane Garden Bay Road corridor, running from near Hodge's Gas Station through to the De Wedding area. The scheme will lay roughly 4,800 feet of gravity sewer mains and submains, add 2,200 feet of force mains, install seven new pump and lift stations, place 42 precast manholes and two utility kiosk buildings, and remove all 35 existing fibreglass lift stations for safe disposal.

Honourable Kye M. Rymer, Minister for Communications and Works, described the project as a significant step forward. "The upgrades to the Sewerage Networks that are slated to begin in Cane Garden Bay shortly represents another step in the right direction as the ministry continues to execute it mandate," he said, according to a government statement. He added that the ministry recognises the need for smooth execution: "We do not take this mandate lightly, and we are cognisant of the importance of this project being executed as smoothly as possible."

The work will roll out in phases, tackling the main thoroughfare first before moving to secondary and community roads. Pump stations and pipeline sections will be activated in stages to keep sewerage flowing while old lift stations are gradually taken offline and connected to the new gravity main.

Residents and businesses should prepare for temporary road closures and trenching. A Traffic Management Plan will direct traffic and maintain access to properties. The contractor will give advance notice of saw-cutting, excavation and road work at each location, and temporary access will be restored immediately after backfill pending final surfacing.

Noise and disruption will be managed through sound-dampened pumps and limited working hours in sensitive areas. Existing utility lines, electric, fibre, water and gas, will be protected through hand or vacuum excavation where trenches approach known crossings.

Special precautions near the shoreline will include silt fencing and settlement filtration for any dewatering to prevent sediment or pollutants entering the bay. During the transition, existing lift stations will be served by vacuum-tanker trucks until the new gravity system is tested and ready to receive their flows.