City Responds To Premier’s Sewerage Comments

The Corporation of Hamilton responded to Premier David Burt’s comments on national sewerage infrastructure and its role under the Municipalities Reform Act 2026.

A spokesperson said, “The Corporation of Hamilton wishes to respond to statements made in the House of Assembly on Friday by the Hon. Premier David Burt during debate on the Municipalities Reform Act 2026, specifically comments relating to national sewerage infrastructure and the role of the Corporation of Hamilton.

“During the debate, the Premier referenced past discussions between the Government and the Corporation regarding the possibility of integrating the City’s sewer system into a proposed national sewerage network. In his remarks, the Premier suggested that the Corporation declined to participate in the proposed system and indicated that such a position demonstrated a governance issue whereby municipal authorities could prevent the implementation of national infrastructure.

“The Corporation of Hamilton strongly refutes the suggestion that it blocked or prevented the Government from pursuing a national sewerage system.

“The discussions referenced by the Premier took place as part of a consultation process undertaken by Government-appointed consultants examining options for island-wide sewerage infrastructure. As part of that consultation, the Corporation of Hamilton, along with other stakeholders, was asked to provide its professional opinion on the proposed concept.

“The Corporation provided its views during that consultation. At no time did the Corporation issue any directive, formal objection, or correspondence stating that Government could not proceed with a national sewer system. The consultation process sought input, and the Corporation responded accordingly.

“The Corporation’s position during those discussions reflected concerns about the significant financial implications associated with constructing and maintaining a centralized national sewerage system. Infrastructure of that scale would likely require an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars upfront, with substantial ongoing operational costs thereafter. Given Bermuda’s fiscal realities, the Corporation raised legitimate questions about affordability, long-term funding, and the burden such a project could place on taxpayers. While the Premier suggested that Government was prepared to finance such a system, projects of this scale are ultimately funded by the public purse. The Corporation’s concerns therefore centred on the long-term cost to Bermuda’s taxpayers and the sustainability of the proposed investment.

“It is also important to clarify that the Corporation does not possess the authority to prevent the Government from implementing national infrastructure. Under the Municipalities Act, the responsible Minister has the power to issue directions to the Corporation on matters deemed to be of national importance. No such directive was ever issued in relation to the sewerage system, which further confirms that the discussions referenced were part of a consultation process rather than a situation in which the Corporation could obstruct Government policy.

“The City’s sewerage operations are conducted under a licence issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, a Government department. That licence establishes the operating conditions under which the system functions. The Department has approved the Corporation’s ongoing improvement programme, which includes the implementation of microscreening and disinfection technology as part of upgrades to the system.

“The Corporation also made clear during discussions with Government representatives, including the Municipalities Minister, the Permanent Secretary, and the Chief Engineer, that the City’s planned improvements and any future national infrastructure initiatives were not mutually exclusive. The City’s upgrades could proceed while still allowing Government to pursue additional improvements to Bermuda’s sewerage infrastructure if it chose to do so.

“Beyond the sewerage system, the Corporation of Hamilton maintains a strong record of responsible infrastructure management within the City.

“The Corporation operates under a comprehensive Asset Management Plan, developed in accordance with Government requirements. This plan evaluates all City assets, assesses risk levels and potential consequences of failure, and allows the Corporation to prioritise infrastructure investment responsibly. Each year, the Corporation reviews and reassesses its assets to determine maintenance and upgrade priorities for the upcoming budget cycle, ensuring that public funds are directed where they are most needed.

“This structured approach to asset management supports the City’s ability to maintain and improve critical infrastructure while delivering reliable services to residents, businesses, and visitors.

“The City’s sewerage system has served Hamilton and surrounding areas for more than a century and operates under strict regulatory oversight from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The Corporation continues to invest in improvements to ensure the system meets modern environmental standards and protects Bermuda’s marine environment.

“As part of these upgrades, the City has recently purchased two advanced fine-mesh microscreening machines that will be installed at the Front Street Wastewater Treatment Plant. Once operational, these screens will remove approximately 40 percent of suspended solids from the City’s wastewater, preventing an estimated 1,210 litres of solids per day from entering the South Shore outfall.

“The new screens are significantly more restrictive than the existing filtration system. While the City upgraded its screening technology in 2015 to prevent solids larger than 3 millimetres from passing through the system, the new microscreens will prevent anything larger than 0.35 millimetres from leaving the plant, further reducing the already rare occurrence of material reaching South Shore beaches.

“The improved screening process will also significantly reduce the amount of macro- and micro-plastics entering the ocean. These plastics can enter wastewater systems through improper disposal, personal care products containing microbeads, and the laundering of synthetic clothing fibres.

“In addition, the City will introduce a peracetic acid [PAA] disinfection process prior to discharge through the Seabright outfall during bathing season. This process will significantly reduce bacterial levels in the effluent while producing environmentally safe by-products that do not harm coral reefs or marine life. PAA is widely used at coastal wastewater treatment facilities internationally to protect recreational water quality.

“The City also implemented a Fats, Oils and Grease [FOG] policy in 2014, requiring commercial food establishments to install grease traps and properly dispose of cooking oils. This initiative, later reinforced through Government health regulations, has dramatically reduced the amount of grease entering the treatment plant. Prior to implementing the policy, grease removal at the plant occurred four times per week; today it typically occurs once every two weeks. The City now collects approximately five tons of waste cooking oil per week.”

Mayor Charles Gosling added that the Corporation also carefully considered the scale and cost of the national infrastructure proposals during consultation: “Engineering assessments indicated that the development of a fully centralized sewerage system for Bermuda would involve substantial capital investment and long-term operating costs. For example, preliminary estimates prepared for proposed systems in St. George’s and St. David’s alone were projected at approximately $70 million in 2017, a figure that would be significantly higher today. Expanding a similar system across the entire island would represent a far larger investment and would require extensive trenching across public roads and private access ways to install new sewer lines.

“The City’s position was never about blocking national infrastructure. During consultation we simply raised legitimate questions about the scale, cost and long-term sustainability of the proposals being discussed. At the same time, the Corporation has continued investing in practical improvements to the City’s wastewater system that protect our marine environment while remaining financially responsible for Bermuda’s taxpayers.”

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