T&T needs significant rainfall over the next month to fill up the country’s reservoirs and ensure that communities receive a consistent supply of pipe-borne water, Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales says.
In an address at the commissioning of lights at the University of the Southern Caribbean’s (USC) Recreation Ground in Maracas/St Joseph on Wednesday night, Gonzales said drought-like conditions were straining the utility sector and are mainly affecting the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and the T&T Electricity Commission (T&TEC).
Rainfall is so crucial for WASA and T&TEC in the next month, that the minister sounded the alarm that T&T had reached crisis levels.
“Most of our reservoirs around the country are below 50 per cent. We are hoping that within the next 30 days, we are going to get some kind of rainfall to replenish our reservoirs so that at least for 35 days we are going to have sufficient water to provide to communities all over T&T. So, in other words, we are approaching the crisis point,” he said.
The Caroni, Hollis, Lluengo Naranjo and Blanchisseuse Water Treatment Plants, as well as the North East and North West Rural Intakes, are all operating at production deficits of between 33 and 37 per cent. The worst hit are the Aripo, Caura, and Tyrico which are between 12 and 16 per cent.
Although the North Oropouche, Maraval and Quare Water Treatment Plants are operating with production deficits of 25, 26 and 28 per cent respectively, the Acono, Last Cuevas Water Treatment Plants and St Ann’s Reservoir are all just over 40 per cent.
The reservoirs get lower and lower because of little to no rainfall due to global warming.
Gonzales said, “Sometimes you walk the streets, you walk the communities, and you see some people still watering their plants with their hoses and engaged in wasteful practices. That is not a good thing and it is not a good sign for us as a people.
“People still engage in those things because the fines are not prohibitive, so WASA and a team, they are looking at the Act with a view to upgrading it, with a view to increasing fines.”
He said the situation is also grim in other Caribbean islands. St Lucia declared a state of emergency due to water shortages earlier this week and rationing has been implemented in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and Barbados. In comparison, T&T’s water situation is relatively stable.
“We have a lot to be grateful for, s, while life may not be perfect and there is no perfect country in this world, it is not a reason to just focus on some of our imperfections and not acknowledge God’s blessing in so many spheres of our national development,” he said.
Acknowledging recommendations for renewable resources to generate electricity, Gonzales pointed to Costa Rica which produces 98 per cent of its electricity from water. The country’s ongoing drought has resulted in residents facing three-hour outages daily as part of load shedding which began on May 13.
T&TEC general manager Curvis Francois said during heat spells consumption increased. The commission supplied 1456.2 megawatts of electricity on May 15, the highest record yet. This is 46 megawatts more than last year’s peak which stood at 1410 mw on September 13, 2023, and that is enough to power the capital city. However, the consumption of more electricity means depletion of more natural gas which emits carbon dioxide which leads to global warming and the cycle continues.
“The only solution is energy conservation. Each of us must do our part to reduce our carbon footprint through conservation of electricity. If we try to reduce our carbon footprint, we extend the limited natural gas reserves for the benefit of the next generation, not just for us. We obviously reduce the global warming impact on the environment and last but by no means least, we lower our electricity bills,” he said.
Gonzales said rationing was not currently under consideration but he was urging the public to be more responsible.
