A full week has passed since a mechanical glitch at the Caroni Water Treatment Plant, and some areas are still grappling with water supply issues.
Over 500, 000 customers across central, south, and north Trinidad were impacted by the mechanical failure at the plant’s Raw Water Electrical Control Station last Friday. While repairs were completed last Sunday around 5 am, Acting Chief Executive Officer at WASA, Kelvin Romain, confirmed to Guardian Media yesterday that some customers are experiencing low pressure in their taps and others do not have any water at all.
“I am happy to report that most areas that were affected by the disruption or declining water treatment plant would have been in receipt of a supply. However, we have had some reports of pockets of areas that were supposed to be scheduled without a supply. And those areas range from places in the north like Santa Cruz, upper Laventille, and Morvant. And, in some other areas in the south, we have high points at Vistabella, La Romain and Siparia,” he told Guardian Media.
Though unable to provide a specific count of areas without a supply, Romain sought to assure customers that WASA is trying its best to mitigate the impact on them.
“We continue to make the necessary adjustments to ensure our customers are supplied, inclusive of water trucking, redirecting supply, and in some instances increasing production at some of our neighbouring plants as well as at the Caroni Water Treatment Plant,” he explained.
Romain also confirmed that emergency repairs had cost WASA over one million dollars, inclusive of the transformer.
“We would have successfully completed the placement of the transformer at the county water treatment plant, which would have entailed the use of a contractor as well as in house crews,” he indicated.
In apologising to customers, Romain said the authority is trying its best to improve its systems.