Great Bay:--- Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever recently took a tour of the Seven Seas desalination and production operations in Cupe Coy and Cay Bay, where he received an extensive explanation on the operations of both plants. Seven Seas are responsible for the production of water, which is supplied to GEBE for use by its consumers.Minister De Weever was accompanied by staff of the Inspectorate of Public Health Social Development & Labor, GEBE, and Seven Seas St. Maarten. The tour started at Cupecoy where Minister De Weever was given a first-hand look of the wells in the area that takes in the sea water and further pumps it to the plant at Cupecoy. The tour continued to the Cay Bay plant, where Seven Seas officials explained the intake of water from the ocean and its further processing.
"As minister with the responsibility for potable/drinking water according to the legislation it is extremely important that I am completely aware of the process from the production to the distribution and the independent sampling by the environmental inspectors of the inspectorate to independent testing by SLS all to ensure enough and safe water to the people of St. Maarten," said Minister De Weever.
Seven Seas focuses on seawater/brackish water reverse osmosis and other membrane based water treatment technologies. The company has a large team of support staff for the reverse osmosis desalination plants here on the island. The Cupecoy Plant increased its capacity from contracted amount of 3,000m³/d to actual amount of 3,730m³/d. The Cay Bay Plant, of which the existing plant was expanded from 10,500 to 13,500m³/d.
Of those13,500m³/d, how much water is sold? How much is lost? Those would be an interesting comparison.
The water at the plant is tested and is potable, but what about the water that has pa**ed through the distribution system and pipes?
Our sewage "system" leaks like a colander, around and into the potable water supply. I would not be surprised to hear that the potabe water is contaminated...it would be a miracle if it was not.
These are the most basic of public services and are a litmus test of the health and wellbeing of a society. Before causeways to nowhere, before building another govenment building or casino, we need to trust that those we empower with our health and welfare, do their jobs and what is expected of them...and it does not get any more basic than water.
Good for you, Minister De Weever, and I hope that you take the next efforts to make this a system that will sustain our health, and be something we can be proud of, lord knows, we need something!