PUBLIC SERVICES has finished viewing different types of sewage plants before it decides on a system for the island. Following on from a visit to Wessex Water earlier this year, the department spent time as the guests of Anglian Water, as it gathers information for a detailed report that will go before the States on the options for a plant locally.

On the latest fact-finding trip, politicians and board members saw a deep shaft system in Tilbury, a bio-bubble in Thorrington, near Colchester and the company’s show case, a totally enclosed flagship plant at Lowestoft.

‘I think we’ve now completed our viewing of the different types of plant available and the more we learn, the more we realise you have to have a plant suitable to a particular community and size of the site,’ said minister Bill Bell.

‘One of the biggest problems is where we site the plant.

‘Once we’ve decided that, we’ll know what land we’ve got and what might be appropriate. We’ve got to consider the odours, what we do with the residue and how much it might cost.’

The department also met expert Pat Green.

‘If they have made a mistake, he explained why, what they’ve done about it. You’d never get that from a salesman,’ said Deputy Bell.

The deep-shaft system, said Deputy Bell, took up far less space than other technologies.

‘We’ve heard a lot about the bio-bubble plant and were disappointed to find in practice that it does tend to produce quite a lot of sludge, which we were always told by the salesman that it did not,’ he added.

The Lowestoft plant was enclosed in a huge dome, said Deputy Bell, showing what could be achieved.

Public Services is now pooling all the information it has gathered into the States report, which is being produced in conjunction with the Environment Department.

‘I’m not going to predict a time, but we must be talking the end of the year,’ said Deputy Bell.

‘The department is very open-minded and is assessing what they have done. I think members started with a particular preference. I suspect many have now modified their ideas.’

He said that the department needed to present the full range of options available, including possible costs, sites and ways of getting rid of the residue.

‘I think we have a duty to produce a comprehensive report so the States and community have full knowledge to make a decision.’