A Public Consultation on the Proposed Sanitation Zoning Plan

The Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Barthélemy has made the draft revision of the island’s sanitation zoning plan available to the public as part of a public consultation held from Monday, November 2, through Tuesday, November 17, at 5:00 p.m. This proposal aims to define the organization of wastewater management on the island, taking into account its specific characteristics as well as environmental and public health concerns, according to an online publication by the Territorial Collectivity. The dossier includes, in particular, zoning maps, soil suitability for wastewater treatment, and the draft resolution. It is available for review at the reception desk of the Collectivité’s headquarters as well as on the website (www.comstbarth.fr). The public may submit comments by mail delivered against receipt to the president’s office, by certified mail with return receipt requested addressed to the president, or by email (assainissement@comstbarth.fr).
Between June 8 and 22, the dossier on the proposed revision of the island’s wastewater zoning plan had already been made available to the public. Residents of the Grand-Cul-de-Sac neighborhood reacted strongly upon discovering, as they reviewed the document, a proposal to build a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Grand-Cul-de-Sac. This was “to ensure the connection of the Grand Cul-de-Sac, Petit Cul-de-Sac, and Marigot areas,” as specified in the document.
The file included a cost estimate for the project (nearly 6.9 million euros), detailed information on the topography and existing infrastructure, and a proposal: to “classify urban areas that can be connected via gravity flow as part of a future public sewer system, with a view to building a dedicated wastewater treatment plant.” It also indicated that, in order to begin construction of the plant on plots located near the pond and the lagoon, land acquisitions would be necessary.
Concerned about this, a group of neighborhood residents launched an online petition on change.org (JSB 1671). The petition is still available under the title “No to the proposed wastewater treatment system in the Greater Cul-de-Sac area.”
In the document submitted this November for public consultation, the plan to build a wastewater treatment plant in Saint-Jean is included. However, there is no mention of such a project in Grand-Cul-de-Sac.