Cruise tourists expecting to enjoy a last dose of Cayman’s fresh breezes were in for a nasty surprise Wednesday afternoon.
These visitors from Arizona and Texas had to cover their noses while waiting for their tender thanks to a smelly sewage problem across the street. Photo: Basia Pioro |
Instead of inhaling sweet ocean air visitors queued up on Harbour Drive to catch their tenders were assaulted with a rank stench emanating from the Island Village sewage treatment plant across the street.
‘It sure smells bad, it’s really awful, especially right here in front of the Port Authority building,’ said the Shipman family of Greensburg, Indiana.
‘It’s too bad that we had to put up with this but things happen. Thank goodness there is a bit of wind,’ they said.
The noxious haze hung over much of the area all day thanks to a problem with the six-month-old sewage plant, which cleans the complex’s waste water before it is pumped into the sea.
‘The bad smell was getting worse all day, which prompted us to call in the industrial services crew to pump out the affected tanks this afternoon,’ said Margaritaville General Manager Arthur Screaton.
Opening the covers on the various sewage tanks that filter the complex’s sewage further intensified the odour problem.
‘It appears the issue was not mechanical and likely a human-error malfunction, and we’ve got the situation sorted out,’ said Mr. Screaton.
He said the malfunction was disappointing especially since the complex has installed the system in an effort to manage its waste in a responsible way.
Mr. Screaton said it was fortunate that trainers for the sewage plant company happened to be on-Island and were able to assist crews in identifying the problem right away.
While the problem was resolved by late afternoon, hundreds of tourists had to endure the stench for hours while shopping and waiting for their tenders.
‘We are in the process of implementing measures to ensure this problem does not happen again,’ said Mr. Screaton.
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