About 30 technicians and sanitation experts from Cuba, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Lucia will met in Fort de France, Martinique to prepare the construction of teatment wetland plants in their country.
One year after the launch of the CARIBSAN project, pilot sites for treatment wetland plants have been identified in Cuba, Dominica and Saint Lucia. The first studies prior to the construction of these pilot plants have begun.
On the agenda of this forum: workshops bringing together engineers from the water and sanitation companies of Dominica (DOWASCO), Saint Lucia (WASCO), Cuba (INRH), the Caribbean Water And Sewerage Association (CAWASA), the Water Offices of Guadeloupe and Martinique, as well as French experts from the French Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment and the International Office for Water.
During the week, participants took part in: a training session on Treatment wetlands in Spanish, a workshop to learn how to use the decision support tool (method to determine the most suitable treatment wetland process), a workshop on training needs to develop and sustain the technology in the territories, a workshop on monitoring the impact of discharges on the environment, a communication workshop on sanitation and treatment wetlands.
During the forum, the 7th Steering Committee meeting was held. On Wednesday 7 December partners participated to a study trip to the treatment wetland plants operating in Martinique.
In a little over a year, the Cuban, Dominican and Saint Lucian partners have taken the first steps to develop treatment wetlands technology in their countries. CARIBSAN has trained more than 200 sanitation professionals on this technology. Treatment wetlands (also called constructed wetlands) have the advantage of being more efficient, simpler and cheaper than conventional wastewater treatment systems. They can cope with tropical weather events such as heavy rainfall and cyclones.
