The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE government is moving to install four lift stations in Pinewood Gardens in a $2.6 million bid to break the cycle of flooding that has swamped homes, destroyed belongings and trapped residents for decades.

Works and Family Island Affairs Minister Clay Sweeting said yesterday the equipment had been ordered and was being manufactured, with delivery to The Bahamas expected within three to four weeks.

The stations will anchor a pilot drainage system designed to automatically pump stormwater into deep disposal wells when rainfall overwhelms the area’s natural drainage capacity.

Mr Sweeting said the technology should remove floodwaters far more quickly than conventional gravity drainage systems and could shape the government’s response to flooding elsewhere in New Providence.

The project is expected to take about 12 months to complete after construction begins, although the schedule depends on when the equipment arrives.

“We anticipate it's supposed to be a 12-month completion. So if all works well, it'll be 12 months after the commencement date,” he said during the Office of the Prime Minister’s weekly press briefing.

Mr Sweeting said the government selected the Pinewood Drive Lift Station project after completing a flood-zone identification study and water-cluster analysis for New Providence.

He cast the project as a direct response to a crisis that has repeatedly upended the lives of Pinewood residents.

“We're not simply here to make an announcement about the Pinewood Drive Lift Station as another infrastructure project,” he said. “We're here to address a problem that has affected families for decades, and to inform you of our engineers' belief that this is the most appropriate and effective solution based on extensive technical studies and environmental assessments.”

Years of clearing drains and canals have improved the movement of stormwater across New Providence, Mr Sweeting said, but those measures can no longer keep pace with increasingly intense rainfall.

The new system will pair lift stations with deep drainage disposal wells. When water rises faster than it can drain naturally, the stations will automatically activate and force the excess underground.

“Simply put, when heavy rainfall causes water to collect faster than it can naturally drain away, these stations will automatically pump excess water into a specifically designed deep disposal well,” Mr Sweeting said. “That means less standing water, faster drainage, safer roads, and greater protection for homes and businesses.”

He compared the system to automatic bilge pumps aboard boats, which activate once water reaches a certain level.

“If anyone's ever been boating and understands that they have what they call bilge pumps in the boats, when the water meets a certain level, the pump automatically kicks in,” he said. “This system forces the water below the surface, so it should work very quickly.”

Engineers have also prepared for the possibility of encountering natural voids in the limestone during excavation. Mr Sweeting said any such discovery would be assessed before work continued.

The government plans to use the Pinewood project to guide future flood-control efforts, with a similar system proposed for Coral Harbour.

Pinewood Gardens has endured severe flooding for decades. Heavy rainfall has repeatedly poured into homes, ruined furniture and appliances, stranded residents and turned roads into impassable waterways.

The crisis flared again in October 2025 when Tropical Storm Imelda dumped more than eight inches of rain on New Providence and submerged large sections of the community.

At a Ministry of Works town hall after the storm, residents described years of recurring destruction. Some said they had repeatedly lost household belongings, while others recalled being trapped inside their homes for days or requiring rescue by emergency personnel.

Officials at that meeting unveiled a separate proposed $20 million drainage project funded through a partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank. That plan included new canals, drainage channels, settling ponds and an expanded maintenance programme.