Diana McCaulay, executive director of the Jamaica Environment Trust: "A month ago somebody told me that, although a lot of the sewage is going to Soapberry, some is still going into the harbour." - File

THE NATIONAL Water Commission (NWC) says its two major treatment plants in Kingston are no longer discharging raw sewage into Kingston Harbour.

For years environmentalists have lambasted the NWC for polluting the city's harbour. Numerous calls had been made for urgent action to be taken by the commission to address the problem.

On Wednesday, NWC President E.G. Hunter said the Greenwich and Western treatment plants in Kingston were now history. He said pumping stations have been built to replace the two plants and the sewage was now being channelled to the Soapberry treatment plant, which was built at a cost of about $4.6 billion (US$52 million).

Hunter was making a presentation to Parliament's Public Administration and Appropriation committee.

"I am happy to say that, after all this time, the NWC can say with a great degree of certainty, and indeed with some pride, that we are no longer discharging raw sewage into Kingston Harbour," he said.

At least one environmentalist is not willing to accept the NWC's assertion without independent confirmation.

Chief executive officer of Jamaica Environment Trust, Diana McCaulay, told The Gleaner on Wednesday that she had received information that contradicted the NWC's claims.

"A month ago somebody told me that, although a lot of the sewage is going to Soap-berry, some is still going into the harbour," she said.

However, Hunter identified other sources that polluted the Kingston Harbour, such as the Rio Cobre, gullies and waste from industrial plants in Kingston.

Committee member Phillip Paulwell wanted to know what the NWC was doing about the malfunctioning sewage plant in Harbour View.

The NWC president said the agency has put to tender the construction of a new treatment plant in Harbour View.

An estimated $890 million (US$10 million) will be needed to build a modern plant in Harbour View.

"It's an expensive solution, and it is something that is going to haunt us in terms of us being able to manage that," said Hunter.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com