Senate hearing presses Waste Management Authority on sewage backups, staffing and proposed $15 monthly waste fee

Senators at a July 21 hearing pressed the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority over recurring sewage overflows in St. Thomas, staffing shortages and a proposed residential solid-waste collection fee of $15 a month. Interim Director E. G. Griffith and wastewater and engineering managers described a near-term pump installation and a coordinated cleanup with Public Works and the Department of Health, while senators sought clearer budgets, vacancy lists and timelines.

The Waste Management Authority told the committee it plans to install a larger electric pump at a collapsed 42-inch sewer line near Banco Popular and run work from 6 p.m. into the night so crews can lower sewer levels and allow cleanup behind the Windward Passage Hotel. Keith Smith, wastewater manager, said in testimony that the temporary diesel pump in place was undersized and prone to clogging and that "we're actually turning that manhole into a pump station" tonight to get levels down. Senator Fonseca demanded a date to clean the visible raw sewage, saying, "Give me a date when you're gonna clean up the filth, the sewage back of Windward Passage Hotel."

Why it matters: senators repeatedly framed the overflows as a public-health and environmental hazard that is discharging to the ocean and affecting neighborhoods and businesses. Griffith said underground collapses across the island — including two failures near Banco Popular — have forced the authority to prioritize permanent repairs islandwide, delaying some visible cleanups. He said FEMA has provided billions for…