Cane Garden Bay

The Cromaglass and Myers alternative provides a solution for wastewater management problems in small communities such as Cane Garden Bay in the beautiful British Virgin Islands.

Installation has been made where a pollution free environment is critical to the businesses and livelihood of the area's population.

Over many years several hotels, restaurants, and residential housing structures utilized septic tank/drainfields for sewage disposal. However, in the peak tourist season of February 1997 beachgoers and tourists were diverted to other beaches due to high bacterial count of the naturally pristine blue waters of the Bay off the Caribbean Sea.

To provide a response for this sanitary and health compromising situation a Washington, D.C./British Virgin Islands based company, Caribbean Basin Enterprises, combined the expertise of Cromaglass and Joe Poster of American Pump Systems, Inc., Myers pump distributor, for the processes necessary to complete the collection and treatment programs.

Projects of this type have three main components - the collection equipment, the pump stations, and the wastewater treatment equipment. Overall the plan for this small community wastewater collection and treatment program was to initially calculate necessary grade levels to enable best possible placement of the wastewater collection lines and pump stations which is determined by high groundwater conditions found along a flat expanse of beach area surrounded by suddenly rising hills and mountains.

Engineering personnel from Cromaglass, Myers, and the contractor determined on-site grade readings and this information was communicated to the Myers Pump Company offices where a complex computerized program permitted fast design for the collection and pumping system.

A special feature of this Virgin Islands project was the speed with which the design, equipment delivery, and installation was accomplished.

Time limits were mandatory due to the seasonal conditions for peak tourist arrivals. Accordingly, the British Virgin Islands government issued the contract fixing March 31, 1998 as the completion date.

Site preparations were initiated with excavation and pouring of concrete base pads on which the Cromaglass Batch Treat Tanks would be located.

The Myers wastewater collection system, as supplied by American Pump Systems, Inc., is a low pressure collection process including gravity sewer lines from the buildings to each of 34 fiberglass pump stations. From here, 3" force mains transport wastewater to a splitter box located in front of the Cromaglass treatment modules, which divides the wastewater flow evenly among the three 15,000 gallons per day treatment modules.

Next step was to transport tanks from port to the limited access beach area and the placement of tanks on location.

Stainless steel tiedowns are utilized to secure the systems to the concrete pads to eliminate potential flotation problems. All electrical connections are made between the control panels and the junction box. Internal system wiring is pre-installed at the factory. When the fiberglass tanks have been stabilized onto the base, connections between the tank sections are made with PVC piping - 6" size for the bottom of the tanks and 2" at the top which are used for water flow between tanks. Finally, backfilling of the tanks is made utilizing select local materials.

Since the Cromaglass treatment systems, by government choice, are located on public school property it was a prerequisite that there be no distracting noise or offensive odors.

Treated wastewater effluent from Cromaglass systems can be pumped through a filter system and disinfection componentry to provide recycle or reuse capability and quality.

For the Cane Garden Bay project local authorities have the option of recycling the treated water for irrigation in the area; distribution for reuse on neighboring community properties; or outfall to the adjacent Caribbean Sea.

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