The view overlooking Sint Maarten Wastewater Treatment Plant on A. Th Illidge Road.
PHILIPSBURG--The Government of St. Maarten and the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) will be hosting a consultation for the St. Maarten Wastewater Management Project on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 6:00pm until 9:00pm at the Belair Community Center.
The session will explain planned upgrades to the island’s wastewater systems and give the community an opportunity to share feedback before designs are finalised.
Only about 10 percent of households in St. Maarten are connected to the public sewer network, making wastewater management one of the island’s biggest environmental challenges. The St. Maarten Wastewater Project is a US $25 million investment, co- funded by the Government of St. Maarten (US$15 million) and the St. Maarten Trust Fund (US$10 million). The work includes expanding the sewer network in Dutch Cul de Sac and improving the A. Th. Illidge Road wastewater treatment plant so it can manage more household connections and operate more efficiently. The improvements are expected to reduce reliance on ageing septic tanks and lower the risk of wastewater entering yards, streets, and ponds.
The consultation will include a walk-through of the Environmental and Social (E&S) Risk Management Instruments prepared for the project. The E&S Instruments explain how the construction and long-term impact of the project will affect people, homes, roads and the environment, and outline measures to reduce noise, dust, traffic delays, water pollution, and other impacts. It also gives the community an opportunity to understand the project, ask questions, and propose improvements before designs are finalized.
The project’s timeline, work areas, and expected impacts on traffic will be presented at the meeting. There will also be a question and answer session so that the public can raise any concerns directly with the Government of St. Maarten and the NRPB.
The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs is encouraging the community to get involved. “We want to improve how wastewater is managed across St. Maarten. This work affects neighbourhoods and daily routines, so participation from the community is incredibly important. Your feedback will help us refine the designs and prepare for construction.”
The consultation is the first in a series of stakeholder engagement activities that are free and open to the public. Additional meetings for schools, community groups, directly affected households, and stakeholders will take place in the coming weeks. Feedback from all sessions will help guide the final design.
A livestream will be available for those who cannot attend in person, and the recording will be available online after the event. The NRPB encourages all households and businesses, especially those in the Dutch Cul de Sac area, to join the session on Wednesday, December 10, from 6:00pm until 9pm at the Belair Community Center. The community’s valuable input will help guide improvements that support cleaner communities and a healthier environment for neighbourhoods.
Following this consultation, the next steps will be shared with the public to ensure the community stays informed throughout the implementation of the project.
The Sint Maarten Wastewater Management Project is implemented by the NRPB on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten. It is funded by the Trust Fund, which is financed by the
Government of the Netherlands and managed by the World Bank. The project is co-funded by the Government of St. Maarten.
