Hazard in the hills

Raw sewage flowing through several properties and on to Shenstone Drive in Beverly Hills – an affluent St Andrew community – has sparked fear that the hazardous contamination may trigger health issues for families there.

The issue, ongoing for over a decade, came to a head on the weekend of May 17, after heavy rainfall, when the generator for a lift station linked to the Long Mountain Country Club reportedly malfunctioned again, sending a deluge of untreated sewage on to a businessman’s property, an adjoining unfinished complex, and other single-family dwellings in the community.

The murky waste then flowed on to Shenstone Drive before settling.

Residents told The Sunday Gleaner that they had registered strong objection to the lift station, now managed by the state-run National Water Commission, but construction moved forward along with the development of Long Mountain, north of the community.

Problems began as early as 2009 with the raw sewage flowing through properties, forcing homeowners to write the NWC.

An affected businessman, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Sunday Gleaner that the problem has made living in his home nearly impossible since purchasing the property six years ago. He said the constant, overpowering odour from the lift station is at times unbearable.

The man said the smell has worsened overtime, declaring that “Beverly Hills stinks”.

“When it rained, it all came down and started flowing through the property,” he said, pointing to the slope of the land.

“It was crazy! Sewage coming through the properties. Crazy! And it just smells, even when it’s not running through. I get the brunt of it because at the back of my wall is where all the sewage comes,” he said, mentioning that the waste eventually settles on the outskirts of the properties of two high-profile Jamaicans – a decorated Olympian and a senior public servant.

“They’re not doing anything about it … . I feel it’s time now to highlight to John Public what is happening in Beverly Hills,” the resident said.

The NWC acknowledged The Sunday Gleaner’s query about the matter in an email last week, but up to press time on Saturday, it did not state what permanent measures were being taken to address the issue.

NWC ADVISORY

In an advisory to residents on May 17, the NWC said it was aware of “wastewater overflows affecting the Shenstone community”. It said it regretted the inconvenience and noted that its maintenance team was, at the time, carrying out repair work to address the pump issue.

Further, it said a team would conduct cleaning down and sanitization activities in the area and at impacted premises.

Residents have also contacted the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), sharing with The Sunday Gleaner several records of complaints dating back to 2020. They described the issue as a “horrific sewer stench” requiring urgent intervention.

Notably, NEPA had previously served an enforcement notice to the NWC in September 2008 for environmental and public health breaches in the St Andrew community that were tied to the same lift station. Tests confirmed that untreated sewage was being discharged on to adjacent lands, prompting NEPA to issue a six-point compliance directive – including an immediate cessation of the discharge and rehabilitation of the affected area within seven days.

The commission had also been further ordered to submit a plan for the lift station and to replace the standby pump within 14 days.

Exposure to raw sewage is a major health concern. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sewage is a biohazard. Direct contact should be avoided and personal protective equipment – such as waterproof gloves and boots – is recommended. The CDC warns that untreated sewage can carry harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites, including E. coli, salmonella, cholera, hepatitis A, and roundworms.

The businessman stressed concerns about cholera, noting that he has a young child whose immune system may not be as robust as adults at the property.

But a local infectious disease specialist contacted by The Sunday Gleaner contacted said the risk is “negligible” unless a wound is exposed to the sewage or one’s mouth to the germs.

The health expert said generally speaking, if residents are not having that level of exposure, then they are not likely to have any issue.

Where children are concerned, however, the specialist said the matter is more delicate because they engage in several activities around the home.

When contacted, Chief Public Health Inspector for Kingston and St Andrew Grayson Hutchinson said the matter will be “thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken”.

Beverly Hills Citizens’ Association President Adrian Lopez confirmed that multiple residents are affected by the issue. He said that despite repeated complaints to the NWC, no lasting solution has been provided. He noted that the problem typically recurs during power outages or heavy rain, causing the sewage to overflow.

HEALTH RISK

Environmental experts have emphasised that poorly managed sewage systems pose a significant public health and environmental risk. The Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) Act prohibits the discharge of untreated sewage into the environment without a valid license. Recent amendments to the law increased penalties, with fines now moving from $50,000 to $5 million, and higher sanctions possible through Circuit Court convictions.

Professor Carol Archer, an urban planning and public policy expert at the University of Technology, Jamaica, said the situation in Beverly Hills reflects broader challenges in urban development across Kingston and St Andrew.

Archer blamed local regulators, who she said choose expediency in the quest for a developed city.

“They would compromise lives and livelihood. This is just one of many examples of cases where it is likely to get worse. We have not dealt with the sewage situation. So, while we would have built out the Soapberry [plant] to deal with expansions taking place. Many of the developments, especially the older ones, are not connected,” she said.

Soapberry Wastewater Treatment Plant is a 75,000 m3/day wastewater treatment facility that handles wastewater flows generated from sections of Portmore in St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew (KSA).

The NWC had indicated its intention to undertake an expansion of the wastewater treatment capacity to 150,000m3/day to manage the projected increase in wastewater flows from the KSA.

Archer said many developments are still using a soakaway system designed for the low-density single family.

“Furthermore, those that are designed are not being properly maintained. So if they’re not properly maintained, then you have the situation that you are having in Long Mountain there and Beverly Hills,” she said, adding that some of these systems have not been turned over to the NWC.

She called for immediate regulatory intervention by municipal authorities and NEPA to assess the extent of the problem and ensure that wastewater systems are connected to central treatment facilities.

Meanwhile, The Sunday Gleaner has learnt that Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and Finance Minister Fayval Williams, who is also the member of parliament for the area, along with teams from the NWC and NEPA, did an assessment of the lift station on Wednesday afternoon.

Both Holness and Williams are residents of the community.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com