~ Faulty installation to blame ~
PHILIPSBURG--At least four homes and a number of businesses were flooded with raw sewage on Wednesday night while a crew from Windward Roads was clearing the main sewage line of extreme clogging by grease deposits.
The sewage backed up into the pipes that connect the homes and businesses to the main sewage line and literally exploded through the toilet bowls.
The flow of sewage lasted for several minutes, sending residents into a panic and out of their homes. Adding insult to their injury, the residents said they could not get a straight answer from Windward Roads or Government about who is going to be held responsible for the damage to their property.
When the news broke, multiple sources who refused to go on record pointed the finger of blame at Afoo Supermarket. They claimed management Afoo had connected to the sewage line illegally and had instructed Windward Roads to cement a grease pit it built for the company during the upgrading of E. Camille Richardson Street, after the company had been instructed not to do so.
In response, Afoo vehemently declined to accept any blame for the incident. Afoo management pointed out that nobody in the area had encountered any problems until Windward Roads had started to pump. Furthermore, Afoo outlined its history of preventative efforts, including having to pay Windward Roads to construct the grease pit even after Windward Roads had not connected one of the company's pipes to the sewage system properly.
Afoo also pointed out that it had contacted Government and Windward Roads about the backing-up of water on numerous occasions during and after the upgrading of E. Camille Richardson Street. Among other things, the company suffered a gas line cut and its septic tank was breached during the street construction.
Regarding the incident itself, Afoo said it had sufficient grease traps in place for its kitchen and hadn't suffered any backing up of sewage onto its property. If Afoo was to blame, it added, the blockage should have started at Afoo.
Contradicting that position, Department of New Works and Maintenance head Claudius Buncamper said Afoo might have been spared because it is located on higher ground, while the homes are much lower.
Nevertheless, Buncamper said, as the result of an investigation late Thursday a connection flaw was discovered that had caused an overflow of a grease trap into the sewage line, which created the blockage. He said the owner of the grease trap had not been aware of the problem or the faulty installation. The trap was installed some three months ago.
Buncamper said that while it was normal to have an overflow, in this case the trap had not functioned properly because of the faulty installation. It appears that this explanation clears Afoo of any fault in the matter.
Buncamper explained that acid had been poured into the line in attempt to clear it of the grease build-up. The line was still blocked up to press time on Thursday night.
Clean St. Maarten also dispatched a crew to perform some cleanup duties in the area and in the home that was most affected.
Guy Simmons, who owns Info Video Productions, which was also affected, said that when he had asked who should be held liable, he had been told by Public Works to write a letter and make a claim with Afoo, as it was the responsible party. He said the home and business of his family could not operate because of the stench and unhygienic situation. Simmons expressed frustration over the apparent "pass the buck" attitude of the parties involved.
"Somebody has to compensate us for this. So many things have to be replaced. My sister has a snackette that cannot be opened, but nobody wants to step up and accept responsibility. This is foolishness," he said.
Normally, grease in the main sewage line is removed by pushing water through the lines under high pressure. Apparently the present grease build-up is blocking the total diameter of the pipe. Under normal circumstances, building up the pressure causes these blockages to disappear. However, the blockage was so severe in this case that the pressure was not enough to clear it and the water went up via the house connection into the toilet.
Large quantities of grease flowing through the drain build up on the walls of the pipeline over time. These deposits can clog the pipe entirely or collect solid matter to cause a blockage. Grease is normally the result of cooking by-products. Grease build-up can occur from meat fats, cooking oil, mayonnaise, butter and margarine, sauces and food scraps. Garbage disposal units, while grinding scraps into smaller pieces, do not prevent grease entering the pipeline.
