Caption: Clyde Elder. Photo: T&T Parliament
By Tiffany Sookoor
LOW rainfall and mechanical challenges within the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) caused water shortage in Tobago during September and October.
This according to Minister in the Ministry of Public Utilities Clyde Elder in the Senate on Friday.
He was responding to a question from opposition Senator Senator Melanie Roberts-Radgman. She asked:
In light of reports of widespread and persistent deprivation of access to running water across the island of
Tobago, for the months of September and October 2025, can the Minister indicate:
(i) what factors led to this sudden water crisis across Tobago, particularly in areas that traditionally enjoy
a steady and reliable water supply; and
(ii) what, if any, measures have been taken to address the factors identified in response to part (i) of this
question in the short, medium and long-term?
Elder said, “Recently in Tobago, the raw water supply was severely impacted, resulting in an unsatisfactory delivery of supply to customers across the island. All supply zones in Tobago with the exception of the Bloody Bay supply zone were impacted, with customers in the Courland supply zone and south-west Tobago especially affected.”
He said that rainfall was lower than average in September and October, 43% and 60% respectively. Courland and Highland Road water treatment plants were most affected.
Elder said that pipelines were ruptured due to the corrosive nature of the soil, which degrades the metallic couplings and fittings along the 16-inch transmission main.
He said challenges have occurred due to the age and condition of the infrastructure, resource constraints limiting maintenance and procurement of spare units, lack of funding and neglect of preventative maintenance over the last ten years.
“The Authority now continues to perform regular maintenance interventions to sustain operations and ensure service continuity. Many of the reference facilities have been in continuous operation for over two decades and the aging condition of mechanical and electrical components has naturally increased their susceptibility to failure.”
“While ongoing maintenance helps extend the operational life, a number of these sites have been mapped for comprehensive upgrades and replacements. Funding is currently being sourced under capital improvement initiatives.”
Elder said that six measures to be implemented by the Water and Sewage Authority to mitigate continued low rainfall and guarantee a reliable water supply in south-west Tobago throughout the 2026 dry season, including water importation, water trucking, leak repair program, operational readiness, facility optimisation and dredging of rivers.
