A High Court judge has mandated the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to compensate businessman Matthew Edwards after a ruptured underground sewage line flooded his San Juan-based enterprise, forcing a 45-day shutdown and causing extensive damage.
Justice Frank Seepersad delivered the scathing ruling on Thursday, urging WASA to urgently overhaul Trinidad and Tobago’s aging sewer systems to prevent a looming public health and environmental catastrophe.
In his judgment, Justice Seepersad rebuked WASA’s handling of the crisis, reimagining the utility’s acronym: “WASA cannot stand for ‘Wavering, Apathetic, Supine or Atrophic.’ It must embody a ‘Wilful, Attentive, Strategic, and Alert’ approach.”
He said that neglecting outdated infrastructure could lead to systemic failure, calling for immediate replacement of deteriorated sewer mains.
The ordeal began on October 27, 2021, when Edwards arrived at Sure Bros Enterprises, his Eastern Main Road business in Petit Bourg, to find raw sewage surging from a toilet bowl into the building.
Despite attempts to clear the blockage, the contaminated water rose to five inches, flooding the premises with a foul stench and destroying electronics, books, and ice cream parlour stock.
Edwards’ landlord reported the issue to WASA’s St Joseph office the next day but was given only a reference number and a promise of a site visit within three days. No assistance arrived. By November 1, sewage had begun seeping through a sinkhole outside the business, creating a hazardous pool that required daily cleanup. Edwards documented 42 unanswered calls to WASA over three days as the crisis escalated.
The court found WASA’s delayed response and operational negligence directly responsible for the financial and reputational losses suffered by Sure Bros Enterprises. Justice Seepersad’s ruling underscores growing concerns over the state of the nation’s sewage infrastructure, with residents and businesses increasingly vulnerable to similar disasters.
