The most recent reported incident occurred less than a month ago when crewmembers of one or two mailboats were reportedly seen dispensing human waste around the Potter's Cay Dock area.
Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health Ron Pinder made the disclosure Friday, while leading members of the press on a routine coastal monitoring inspection of several docks throughout New Providence including Fort Montague, Potter's Cay, Malcolm Park, Prince George Wharf and Arawak Cay.
"The Department of Environmental Health (DEHS) is facing a challenge in that there is no sewerage connection facilities at any of the docks," he said. "But we are working with any number of government agencies, including the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, the Port Department and the Water & Sewerage Corporation to put in place the proper facilities, so that persons can discharge sewerage in the proper manner."
According to Mr. Pinder, the concentration of fecal matter, however, has proven to be higher in waters surrounding both the Potter's Cay and Prince George areas, particularly due to such locations being heavily populated.
"Wherever you find a greater amount of activity you tend to see higher fecal results," he said. But according to Mr. Pinder the dumping does not necessarily mean that conch will be contaminated.
"Any place in the world where you have illegal discharges, it poses some threat to human health," he said. "But what we are seeking to do is monitor this to make sure that the microbiological results are within the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) standards, and so far those results have indicated that this has been the case, an indication that the food is safe to consume.
"But at the same time, we also have to better police these kinds of activities. Obviously, we are trying to put in place better mechanisms to ensure that the mailboats and sloops are far removed from the immediate area where conchs are stored, but it also all goes back to good food preparation practices, which reduces the level of contamination consumed."
The penalties for persons dumping waste range from a fine of $10,000 to imprisonment, a situation he urged the public to take seriously.
"Environmental infractions are in fact criminal infractions," he said. "They are not civil matters, but are heard in a criminal court. The Bahamian public needs to know that any forms of indiscriminate dumping are recorded as criminal matters and show up on ones criminal records which prohibit travel."
In addition to testing for fecal contamination, the Environmental Monitoring and Risk Assessment (EMRA) Division of the Department of Environmental Health Services also sampled the PH level of various sites, recording an acidity level of between 7 and 7.5 in all cases.
According to Senior Technologist in the Department of Environmental Health Arlington Bethell, a favourable PH level ranges anywhere between 6 and 8, with lower figures accounting for a high acidity level and higher numbers representing a greater presence of alkaline, an indication of how corrosive nearby waters may be.
Mr. Pinder was quick to point out, however, that while Potter's Cay Dock and the Prince George Wharf have consistently proven to be the more polluted areas, they are still within international standards.
"Our recent tests, which were conducted several weeks ago, reveal that the microbiological results are well below the EPA standard, which means that the seawater is safe for recreational and commercial use," he said. "The most recent satisfactory microbiological results do not mean that all persons adhere to regulation or that there is no contamination. Rather, it is largely due to the excellent tidal flow that exists in the Nassau Harbour."
Once tested, it usually takes a period of 18-24 hours to determine whether any fecal contamination has taken place.
However, while not revealing any fecal contamination, a testing of waters near Potter's Cay Dock was tinted with a small sheen of diesel, which according to environmental authorities, is a daily occurrence. In such cases, water samples of the contaminated area are collected and tested.
Operations Manager of Baychem Spill Technologies Ltd., Pat Bain further pointed out that in the event the diesel spill is large, a Total Recoveral Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TRPH) test is conducted to determine the total amount discharged. Diesel spills are often common in areas where boats are being refueled, a situation which poses a threat to both the environment and persons swimming in the surrounding area, depending on the concentration and the amount.
According to Mr. Pinder, avoiding such infractions are all a matter of public education.
"We will continue to educate the public as to the best practices to discharge these things and inform them of the impact something like this has on the environment," he said. "Meantime, we will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding our recreational and commercial water."
By Macushla Pinder, The Bahama Journal
