PUBLIC SERVICES today stands accused of putting off making a decision on sewage treatment. Instead of proposing to build a full treatment plant in line with a States decision in 1997, it wants to carry out a marine survey over five years to find out what effect the present method was having.

Its sewage report covers all the options available, verifying that a plant is expected to cost £50m., but this could rise to £85m. if land reclamation is needed.

Six potential sites are also identified, including filling in a small part of Belle Greve Bay off the Red Lion roundabout and land in La Ramee that is currently classified as an area of search for a golf course.

And in an unusual move, the department has also set out two other options on how to proceed – including moving to full treatment – openly inviting amendments to its proposed way forward.

And they appear likely.

In one of the letters attached to the report, Health and Social Services rejects the need for extensive further research because of the work already done.

‘The HSSD believes this would be widely interpreted by the local community, the media and other jurisdictions as merely putting off making a difficult decision,’ said minister Peter Roffey in the letter.

He added that in the lead-up to the millennium, the need to treat local sewage was identified by a local opinion poll as the development most wanted by most respondents.

‘We should, therefore, firmly commit ourselves to this course, while accepting that this would need to be integrated with a solid waste strategy and could proceed only when States finances were felt to be sufficiently robust for the necessary capital investment.’

Commerce and Employment minister Stuart Falla warns in his letter that concerns over the current disposal method are unlikely to diminish.

It could be expected to attract attention from pressure groups.

‘If any of these campaigns were to be taken up by a newspaper at a national level, the result could be highly damaging to the island’s reputation and especially, in the first instance, to the visitor industry,’ said Deputy Falla.

‘The inescapable fact is the principle, which appears to be universally accepted, that responsible, developed communities should not dispose of raw sewage directly into the sea.

‘It seems highly unlikely, whatever the scientific evidence, Guernsey would ever be able to put together a convincing case for a derogation from this principle.’

It was important, with the island’s industries in mind, that positive steps were taken to move towards the installation of at least secondary treatment, he added.

Public Services minister Bill Bell dismissed the suggestion it was putting off making a difficult decision.

‘If we thought we could solve the problems as soon as possible by spending £50m. on a sewage plant, that would be our recommendation,’ he said.

‘I believe that with the ability to pump out more than one-and-a-quarter-mile out to sea, the currents and tides. . . I don’t think the problem is as great as some people suggest. We have problems with beaches from time to time.

‘Everyone assumes that’s because we pump macerated sewage out to sea, but from all the study done, the information we have, I don’t believe that is so.’

Surface water run-off is believed to be a major issue.

‘It’s right to monitor, take tests, see what the real situation is and how we can solve the occasional problem we have seen at some beaches.’

The States will debate the report next month.