of a new sewage plant at the resort.

The owners of the Sonesta Beach Resort are planning to rectify problems associated with pumping sewage out to sea -- and the news could finally seal the future of the hotel.

The move could also placate Government officials, who have been concerned over the possibility of pollution from the untreated waste hitting beaches.

Sonesta has been warned of potential dangers of sewage contaminating water after being pumped from its outfall pipe, several hundred feet from the shore.

According to a previous letter from Government, they have been lucky not to have been prosecuted, and they have been fortunate that guests had not been affected by the discharge.

It is understood the building of the new plant was the only sticking point in the hotel being sold to White Sands owner James M. Dwyer.

Both Government hydro-geologist Mark Rowe and senior environmental health officer Roger Mello said the plant was long overdue.

"We have been pressuring them to proceed with the sewage treatment plant,'' said Mr. Rowe.

"We have required them to put in a secondary plant. We are waiting for them to come back with an application for a very detailed system that would address the environmental health issues.'' He said Sonesta had been put on notice after high readings of bacteria were taken around the shores. But a 250-foot extension to the outfall pipe had provided temporary relief.

Mr. Mello said: "It has been like that since the hotel was built. We want an improvement.'' He said there are other out falls that pump sewage out to sea, Elbow Beach and the Corporation of Hamilton being two. Both are to build new treatment plants.

"We would want it done. We have put pressure on them to do it,'' said Mr.

Rowe.

Mr. Mello said it was an environmental and health issue, adding: "In the year 2001 you would think we would have got past these things.'' Mr. Rowe said a letter written by him on the problem last year was still valid as no action had been taken, apart from extending the outfall pipe.

The letter, which came as an application for sewage treatment facilities was rejected, said the hotel had been informed three times since 1993 that it needed a secondary plant.

In it he said "bacteriological tests show that pollution of seawater has occurred as a result of the discharges from Sonesta outfall. These occurrences were offences under the Water Resources Act and Public Health Act.

"Sonesta has been fortunate not to have been prosecuted and has been even more fortunate that, apparently, none of your guests has succumbed to illness as a result of this contamination''.

Hope over Sonesta sale Aetna Insurance, who own the hotel, are now going ahead with the new plant.

Spokesman Fred Laberge said contractors would be building the plant during the off season.

He said the pipe extension was an interim measure that Government agreed to.

"We recognise this is something that has to be done and we are proceeding towards doing it,'' he said.

Although James M. Dwyer is still hopeful that they can purchase the hotel, Aetna insist they broke off negotiations in August.

An Aetna spokesman said they were currently marketing the property to other potential buyers.

Mr. Dwyer said they planned to come to the table with Aetna in the near future.

"We are much further ahead in the game than anyone else,'' he said.

He added that their potential purchase of the Belmont hotel was also moving along.

Sonesta vice president Dennis Tucker said he was familiar with the situation but did not want to comment further.