ST. CROIX — The nauseous smell of rotten eggs lingered for blocks Friday in downtown Christiansted as raw sewage steadily bubbled up from a manhole and flowed into the harbor, creating an unpleasant experience for residents, boaters, and nearby restaurants located on the boardwalk.
Raw sewage spewed directly into the Caribbean Sea on Thursday and Friday from a manhole at the intersection of Watergut and King Cross streets near the government parking lot and the entrance to the boardwalk by Nate’s Boathouse that has a history of overflowing.
The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority displayed signage on the nearby sidewalk alerting the community of the “sanitary sewer overflow.” The sign urged individuals to “avoid physical contact with the area.” It also indicated that “exposure to water may cause a health risk.”
The VI Department of Health issued a statement Friday urging the public to avoid traversing the area, noting that the department would continue monitoring the situation to ensure public safety.
“Exposure to raw sewage can lead to several harmful diseases, including gastrointestinal infections, skin rashes, and respiratory problems,” Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said in a statement. “Contaminated water may also carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can spread illness through direct contact or ingestion.”
Darrell Mestier, who was repairing a private dock on the boardwalk next to the flowing sewage, discussed how the stench affected him as he slept on a boat Thursday night to keep his tools secure.
“I had to turn off the fan and shut the doors because I couldn’t even breathe because of the sewer,” he said. “It was so powerful that I was passing out from the smell. It was like a gas.”
Former Senator Adlah Donastorg traveled from his residence on St. Thomas on Friday to be welcomed by the sewage flowing down King Cross Street.
“I think it’s pathetic,” he said. “It’s really unfortunate. I believe that clean air, clean water, and a clean environment are basic human rights, and to see something like this gushing in the street, you ask yourself the question: if administration is going to be reactive or proactive,” he said, adding that he has previously seen the manhole overflow while on island. “They need to fix this because this is not only unsanitary, but it’s environmentally unsafe.”
Donastorg stumbled upon the sewage discharge while walking with his luggage after flying over from St. Thomas on a Seaborne flight that landed at the nearby Svend Aage Ovesen Jr. Seaplane Terminal. He carefully maneuvered the flowing sewage while crossing the street to get to his hotel as he walked on dry spots and stepped over a river of wastewater.
Anthony Mardenborough Jr., a history teacher at Free Will Baptist Christian School, brought students from an introduction to business class to the downtown area Friday to learn about business from local retailers. He expressed his dismay at the noxious smell, which he said made him and the students uncomfortable and anxious to leave.
“It’s horrible,” he said about the smell. “I did not expect to come to Christiansted today to smell that. I was expecting heat, but I wasn’t expecting to smell sewage. And, you know, it’s not a good feeling. It makes people feel sick.”
Mardenborough spoke about the affect the odor had on the downtown area.
“It’s harming our businesses that are on the boardwalk,” he said. “It’s harming the tourism industry. A lot of people fly in from St. Thomas and St. John here. The seaplane is next door. So, this is causing an economic impact on our businesses. Nobody wants to come and smell sewage when they’re thinking of food to eat. So, it’s a problem.”
Another manhole a block away at the entrance to the seaplane terminal was also overflowing Friday, dripping sewage into the sea.
Leah Sheppard, Seaborne’s general manager, said it was not the first time for that manhole to overflow either.
“Normally when it happens, we normally just get passengers complaining about the smell,” she said. “But for operational wise, they still come through and park where they can so that they don’t get stuck in all that extra water that builds up in the parking lot.”
The sewage smell is something Sheppard has learned to live with.
“Between that and the sargassum that builds up that we have to clean out, it’s not really a great smell to come to work to, but we kind of get accustomed to it, which isn’t a great thing,” she said.
Jimmy Marchionna, the front-of-house supervisor at Nate’s Boathouse, said the sewer next to the restaurant backs up a few times a year.
“The effect that it’s having on business all up and down the boardwalk because of the smell is just; it’s unacceptable,” he said. “We really need somebody to come down and take a look at this. They should be mitigating this whenever it happens.”
Tara Becker, Rum Runners owner, expressed her frustration over the flowing sewage, which she noted has negatively impacted her outdoor restaurant.
“It’s despicable,” she said. “It has definitely been a detriment to business when we’re already struggling.”
Becker said the sewage overflow has occurred multiple times.
“This has happened so many times in the past,” she said. “There has been a time or two that we’ve actually really considered closing the restaurant just because the stench is so unbearable. Who wants to eat when that’s what you smell?”
A manhole located in the parking lot between Nate’s Boathouse and Rum Runners that is used by downtown businesses was also leaking today, creating a puddle of sewage. Becker said overflow from that manhole is common.
“We have to walk through it sometimes in our parking lot just to get into work,” she said. “We don’t get any relief from it.”
All three of the overflowing manholes are connected to an aging sewer system that has been compromised by a maintenance issue at the LBJ Pump Station the Waste Management Authority was working to repair Friday.
Lorna Nichols-Minkoff, WMA spokesperson, said a malfunctioning pump at the LBJ Pump Station caused the manholes to overflow.
“We have a pump issue, and our guys are on the scene right now fixing that pump,” she said Friday afternoon. “The LBJ Pump Station is all connected to Christiansted, and that’s why you’re seeing some of the manholes overflowing.”
Nichols-Minkoff pointed out a mechanical issue at the LBJ Pump Station that needed to be repaired about a month ago as well.
“It is an antiquated system, and, you know, we do need money to keep it upgraded, and we’re working on that with some grants right now,” she said, adding that crews from the U.S. mainland are scheduled to help WMA upgrade the entire system at the LBJ Pump Station.
In addition to the ongoing efforts by WMA to keep sewage in the sewers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced in July an obligation of $989 million toward the prudent replacement of a vast majority of wastewater sewer lines and 14 pump stations on St. Croix as part of the territory’s recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
St. Croix Administrator Sammuel Sanes said he was in contact with WMA officials Friday about the repairs at the LBJ Pump Station. Although he was hopeful the situation would be rectified by the end of the day, he later indicated that he received an update that work would continue Saturday.
As WMA takes steps to repair the pump at the LBJ Pump Station, the VI Department of Planning and Natural Resources is actively monitoring the progress.
“We’re in close contact with them, and as soon as it’s rectified, we will be notified,” Jamal Nielsen, DPNR spokesperson, said, adding that the public will also be informed.
