Julius E. Sprauve School students on St. John missed another day of in-classroom instruction on Monday due to the overwhelming stench from the Cruz Bay wastewater treatment plant.
The school’s 210 K-8 students were sent home with two days of work packets on Thursday after they and faculty experienced a variety of symptoms from foul odors and airborne irritants, according to the Education Department.
The situation continued Monday as the V.I. Waste Management Authority worked to correct a malfunction at the treatment plant, which has been offline since Wednesday.
The agency warned in a press release Monday morning that the odor will linger “for the next several days because an additional blower unit is being brought on-line at the Cruz Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant to improve operations.”
VIWMA did not respond to additional questions by publication time, but according to several engineering websites, blowers are typically used to create air bubbles that aerate and agitate waste and promote aerobic digestion.
Meanwhile, notices concerning the closures have been sent to Sprauve School parents, students, and staff, and posted on the Education Department’s Facebook page, said Cynthia Graham, the department’s communications director.
“The school was closed Thursday, Friday and today. I am awaiting status update for tomorrow,” Graham said Monday afternoon.
For more information about the Cruz Bay treatment plant, contact the Division of Education and Communications Management at 340-513-4171 or email communications@viwma.org. Also, follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter.
