The treatment plant at Burt Point will be in focus as the Water and Sewerage Department joins the rest of the Territory in observing World Water Day on Wednesday.

Deputy Director with responsibility for Sewerage, Mr. Bernard Grant said the plant treats raw sewerage into clear, odourless effluent or wastewater.

Mr. Grant said, “The effluent that is produced at Burt Point is reused for cleaning the facility and for watering plants on the compound. So instead of pumping all of the clear, odourless effluent out to sea, we seek different ways of reusing the water.”

He added that the reuse of effluent water will be put into greater practice at Paraquita Bay where the department plans to make the by-product available for farmers to reuse as an alternative source of water.

Mr. Grant added that the department is environmentally conscious and keen on introducing initiatives to curtail the type of waste going into its system, the quantity of waste as well as new methods of re-using the treated wastewater.

In commemoration World Water Day, the staff at the Burt Point Treatment Plant will open the doors to the public on Wednesday, March 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The day’s activities will feature how the Territory handles its waste in an environmentally safe way.  Persons are encouraged to also visit the Government’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, username @BVIGovernment, to view a video of the facility.

World Water Day is about taking action to tackle the water crises. This year’s theme, ‘Wastewater’, focuses on improving water quality and reducing, treating and reusing wastewater.  

According to the World Water Day organisation, 1.8 billion people use a source of drinking water contaminated with feces, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio.

The Water and Sewerage Department remains committed to continuing its efforts in developing infrastructure that ensure wastewater is handled in an environmentally safe manner in the Territory.