TREATING raw sewage in effluent plants instead of pumping it out to sea would relieve pressure on the island's water supply as well as prevent environmental damage.

That is the view of Opposition Senator Kim Swan who has called on the Government to "practise what they preach" and to stop dumping human waste into the ocean.

Sen. Swan said the Government was being hypocritical by insisting on modern sewage treatment facilities for new hotel developments while it allowed millions of gallons of untreated sewage to be pumped out to sea from locations such as St. George's.

Modern effluent treatment systems could produce water suitable for irrigation use of for flushing toilets and ease recurring problems caused by restrictions placed on water trucks, he added.

"It's a case of do as I say, not as I do," Sen. Swan said. "Government is insisting that hotels use sewage treatment plants, while municipalities they provide millions of dollars in funding for are pumping out untreated sewage.

"We are a modern and sophisticated society and it's time we stopped doing this.

"Where does this stuff end up? It could be on the reefs. It's harming marine life and sometimes we find it washed up on our beaches. As the islands continues to become more developed, the problem will get worse."

The first six months of this year produced nearly five inches of rain less than normal, a situation which has exposed the vulnerability of the island's water supply. Even after a wet start to July, Government continued to put restrictions on water trucks collecting from public water catchment facilities.

Sen. Swan said the situation could be helped by effluent treatment.

"We limp along from crisis to crisis, and we have to repeatedly restrict the supply of water," Sen. Swan said. "Everybody needs water and we should be looking at ways of addressing this problem.

"Modern effluent plants produce water that is of sufficient quality to use for irrigation. At St. George's we have a Government golf course that spends around $100,000 a year on irrigation.

"So you know you have a guaranteed market for the water. That sort of money would be sufficient to meet a good portion of the amortisation of such a facility.

"If there were a surplus of water from a plant, we could even look at the possibility of looking at recycled use for flushing purposes.

"This a golden opportunity for the Government to allow the people of Bermuda to be the beneficiaries of some forward thinking."

Sewage could also be a threat to Bermuda's coral reefs, according to the results of research further south.

Scientists from the University of Georgia blamed bacteria found in human sewage for a disease that is wiping out coral off the Florida Keys.Around 85 per cent of the Caribbean Elkhorn coral in the Keys has been affected by the 'white pox', caused by bacteria found in the intestines of humans and other animals.

The disease, which causes white lesions to appear on the outer living tissue of corals and eventually kills them, is extremely contagious and has been found in reefs all over the Caribbean.

In recent years, some modern sewage systems have been installed.

A plant at the former Sonesta Beach Hotel, now the Wyndham Bermuda Resort and Spa Southampton Beach, filters out solid waste and recycles water for flushing. Government deals with the solid waste.

The Corporation of Hamilton also has a sewage facility built at a cost of $7.5 million. Solid materials are screened out by the system and are then packed for disposal at the Tynes Bay incinerator. The plant was designed by Canadian firm Associated Engineering International.