PHILIPSBURG:---The Government of Sint Maarten and the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) invite the public to a community consultation for the Sint Maarten Wastewater Management Project on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 6 pm to 9 pm at the Belair Community Center. The session will explain planned upgrades to the island’s wastewater systems and allow the community to share feedback before designs are finalized.
Only about 10 percent of households in Sint Maarten are connected to the public sewer network, making wastewater management one of the island’s biggest environmental challenges. The Sint Maarten Wastewater Project is a US$25 million investment, co-funded by the Government of Sint Maarten (US$15 million) and the Sint 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 aging septic tanks and lower the risk of wastewater entering yards, streets, and ponds.
The consultation will include a walkthrough of the Environmental and Social (E&S) Risk Management Instruments prepared for the project. The E&S Instruments explain how the project's construction and long-term impacts will affect people, homes, roads, and the environment, and outline measures to reduce noise, dust, traffic delays, water pollution, and other impacts. It also allows the community to understand the project, ask questions, and propose improvements before designs are finalized.
The project’s timeline, work areas, and anticipated traffic impacts will be presented at the meeting. There will also be a question-and-answer session so the public can raise any concerns directly with the Government of Sint 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 Sint Maarten. This work affects neighborhoods and daily routines, so community participation 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 pm to 9 pm at the Belair Community Center. The community’s valuable input will help guide improvements that support cleaner communities and a healthier environment for neighborhoods.
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 NRPB implements the Sint Maarten Wastewater Management Project 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 Sint Maarten.