Govt, CoH and BIOS working to solve sewage washing ashoreBy Owain Johnston-BarnesGovernment and the Corporation of Hamilton are working to tackle the Island’s sewage issues after reports of “grease balls” on the Island’s South Shore.According to the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, the “grease balls” are presumed to be caused by the Seabright outfall used to dispose of municipal sewage.“Bermuda, like many island nations (including Hawaii), disposes of municipal sewage via an offshore disposal system: in this case, the Seabright outfall located 700m offshore and 10m below the surface,” a BIOS spokeswoman said.“In normal conditions, the prevailing winds and currents distribute the bulk of outfall contents into deeper waters. However, recent conditions have contributed to an increased occurrence of byproducts on local beaches, causing concern among locals.“As can be expected, residents are concerned about the potential impacts of these materials on the local environment — including some of Bermuda’s most pristine coral reefs and beaches — as well as human health and well-being.”A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Environment said Government and the Corporation of Hamilton is aware of the problem and are working to resolve it.“We are aware of the matter, and relevant technical officers from the Government and the Corporation of Hamilton have met to discuss the problem and to plan a response,” the spokeswoman said.“Given the nature of the problem we will work expeditiously to arrive at a solution.”BIOS researchers have been analysing water samples from a number of locations and the BIOS Coral Reel Ecology and Optics Lab (CREOL) is completing monitoring work as part of a five-year contract with the Corporation of Hamilton to investigate the impacts of sewage outfall on environmental conditions on the Bermuda Platform, with specific attention to reef community health.Data from the first year of study indicate that impacts from the outfall on the reef are minimal.Dr Eric Hochberg, Principal Investigator of CREOL, said: “Present monitoring efforts indicate that impacts of the Seabright sewage outfall to the reef ecosystem are negligible; however, additional resources would allow us to gain further insight into the dynamics of the sewage plume and better assess the long-term impacts on the local environment.”