The is the type of warning that could be correct (with Government cooperation) and would not have sounded like the sky is falling. I think the Council General has overreacted to this and I would encourage the local authorities to make a formal complaint to the state department. This announcement was totally
inappropriate.

If you don’t, I will curse Bermuda!

The situation we have today is nothing new. It is not everyday. It is not even very frequent. It only happens when we get we get wind from the east for expended periods which is not often.

Still some sort of pre treatment needs to be done before being put into the pipe & restaurants need to dispose their cooking oil in a responsible manner.

1. Extend the outfall another 100 yards beyond the reef – not that expensive in the whole scheme of things!! Certainly would cost less than the new dock at dockyard.
2. Measure the pathogen content of the water at Hungry Bay, Grape Bay and Elbow Beach at least 3 times a week and immediately PUBLISH the results.
3. Build a new sewage treatment unit for Hamilton – expensive but has to be done. Good location would be the property to the West of the entrance of Seabright Avenue off South Road.

I have real problems with the Health Department and their SECRECY. For some strange reason anything they have responsibility for is a NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE. I tried to get information on the number of hip replacements at the hospital and THEY REFUSED TO TELL ME. They are responsible for protecting our health not preserving national security. It is time that they started to be open and honest with us. Wake up Health Department your job is to protect us not protect your a**!

A much bigger problem that no-one will talk about is the quality of our drinking water. You are probably drinking water that is much more contaminated than the ocean water. Yes you are drinking water from your tank that is dirty as s***!! All that bird s*** and decomposing leaves and crap is very hazardous. And don’t add clorox as the Health Department recommends since you will create all kinds of chlorates and other other bad things that are not good for you. No-one talks about it but it is a HUGE PROBLEM. I hate to make you paranoid but the Health Department wont talk about this problem and you need to think about it. There are solutions, clean your tank frequently and add a filtration and ultraviolet disinfection system.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WE NEED YOU TO SPEAK UP. WE ARE COUNTING ON YOU. PLEASE DO YOUR JOB.

Hopefully the US Counsel will dedicate similar efforts alerting Americans to the environmental disaster left behind following their decades long inhabitation of the former base lands and dedicate sufficient economic and political will towards remediation of their very own man made pollution.

In fairness, water quality affects tourism, but it is NOT the TA’s problem to solve.

It would be heartening to see the statement you seek come from Government, especially given the lead time necessary to build a waste treatment plant.

EW

Once again the most damaging part of the United State Consulate statement, and must be repeated is, “The Government of Bermuda has announced that it plans to take measures to reduce or treat the outfall, but as of March 2014, the dumping continues unabated”.

“UNABATED” is what has forced this WARNING by the United States.