President of the Republic, Dr Patrick Herminie, conducted his first official visit to La Digue on Thursday, touring the island’s newly established sewage treatment plant operated by the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC). The President was received by PUC’s Chief Operations Officer, Mr Ravin Sunassee, who guided him through the facility and outlined the various stages of the e wastewater treatment process. The visit reflects the Government’s continued commitment to strengthening critical sanitation infrastructure across the inner islands.
The plant, situated at L’Union Estate in the south of La Digue, is presently in its commissioning phase. To date, 60 households have been connected to the system, with the facility designed to treat 1000 cubic meters of sewer per day. Work on the plant and its associated network remains ongoing, with further connections expected as the commissioning advances.
The project, which aims to cover 95 per cent of domestic wastewater generation on La Digue, is jointly financed by the European Investment Bank, the Agence Française de Développement, and PUC itself, at a total cost of SCR320 million. The broader project comprises two main components: the installation of a sewer collection system along the western coast of La Digue, and the construction of the treatment plant at L’Union Estate. Prior to the project’s development, La Digue relied primarily on septic tanks and soak pits for the disposal of household wastewater, a situation that posed significant risks to the island’s groundwater and broader ecosystem, particularly given its rapid growth in the tourism sector.
President Herminie was accompanied on the visit by the Minister for Local Government and Inner Islands, Ms Eveline Rose, and the Minister for Health, Dr Marvin Fanny, reflecting the cross-governmental importance of the project across public health, environmental protection, and community development. Once fully operational, residents will not bear the cost of connection to the sewage system, though they will be charged a monthly fee based on the volume of water consumed.  The La Digue sewage treatment plant represents a significant step forward in Seychelles’ national sanitation masterplan and a long-awaited improvement to the quality of life for the island’s residents.