By Sue-Ann Wayow
NINE water treatment facilities mainly along the north coast of Trinidad are currently faced with high river levels, clogged intake and high turbidity levels.
Three facilities in Tobago are dealing with similar circumstances following Wednesday’s flooding.
As a result, there is an irregular supply of water in the areas serviced by those plants.
The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) revealed this information during a virtual press conference on Thursday.
WASA’s chairman Ravindra Nanga is assuring the public that although the plants are negatively affected, WASA has increased its truck-borne water supply to communities most affected.
Nanga said while WASA was grateful that in some areas, the water levels have subsided, WASA was still facing issues with its operations.
“Unfortunately, customers in the north, in the east as well as Tobago are currently without a service due to the impact of the weather on our operations. Due to the high river levels, our plants are down because of the intakes being clogged,” he said.
He added, “Once we do not have any more severe weather within the next 24 hours, the majority of our plants should be back up and running and service restored within that time to those customers that are affected.”
WASA’s Acting Director of Operations, Shaira Ali gave further details on the situation saying conditions have been improving and where applicable some plants were restarted.
The affected facilities are located in Valencia, Lopinot, Guanapo, Matura, Blanchisseuse, La Fillette, Rincon and Las Cuevas.
In Tobago, facilities at Hillsborough West, Highlands Road and Charlotteville were affected and WASA crews were mobilised to have plants back up in operation by Thursday evening into Thursday night, Ali said.
While truck-borne water will be available “emphasis will be on critical institutions such as the hospitals, the schools, the health centres etc” she added.
Ali said, “The Authority will continue to work diligently and ensure all operations are restored to all of the affected communities so that persons will be able to get their supply over the next 24 hours.”
Working towards long-term measures
When asked if WASA was putting any measures in place to prevent or minimise re-occurrence in adverse weather, Nanga responded that currently, that was not possible.
But WASA has plans on the table to reduce impact based on weather.
Nanga explained, “Because of the system that we have in place at the present time, we are reliant on what we refer to as surface water. That happens a lot in the east in terms of the areas that are affected. What we have done as a board coming in, we have started to pursue ground source water and we are hopeful that once those plants are up and running that the impact of the weather will be minimised.”
He added, “We have major infrastructure works being undertaken next year. We have already started looking at wells as well as the construction of modular water treatment plants in areas for example like Sangre Grande so hopefully once that comes on stream within the next year, year and a half, the impact of the weather should be minimised.”
The Chairman said currently, the weather patterns did not permit possible fixes.
“We are hopeful with the coming onstream of the subsurface water sources and the new water treatment plants that this type of impact would be minimised,” Nanga said.
Increase in truck-borne water
Nanga said, “When we have issues such as this, we will in fact increase the availability of truck-borne water.”
He said WASA recently renewed the contract for truck-borne water and there was “quite a number of contractors on board.”
Nanga said there was also a number of internal trucks from the Authority and it also receives assistance from the different regional corporations at times.
The challenge was having those trucks access the flooded areas where clean water was needed the most.
“Once the flooding subsides, of course, our plants will be put back into operation and once the trucks can go out to these areas, we do in fact cater for events such as these and there will be an increase in the truck-borne supply,” Nanga said.
Anyone needing truck-borne services can call 800-4420 or 800-4426.
NINE water treatment facilities mainly along the north coast of Trinidad are currently faced with high river levels, clogged intake and high turbidity levels.
Three facilities in Tobago are dealing with similar circumstances following Wednesday’s flooding.
As a result, there is an irregular supply of water in the areas serviced by those plants. WASA’s chairman Ravindra Nanga is assuring the public that although the plants are negatively affected, WASA has increased its truck-borne water supply to communities most affected.
Question: So where and how wasa getting clean truck borne water to distribute 🤨🤨🤨