WASA’s acting chief executive officer, Kelvin Romain, says climate change has altered rainfall patterns, complicating water management. He says building catchment areas in western Trinidad could be part of the authority’s long-term plan.
Speaking to reporters at the sod-turning ceremony for 14 new wells at Carapal, Erin, yesterday, Romain explained that rainfall, once concentrated in the eastern parts of the country where many reservoirs are located, has now shifted to the west, where there are no existing catchment areas. He noted that this shift has resulted in lower-than-acceptable water levels in the reservoirs.
“We are seeing the impacts of climate change. Our reservoirs are in vegetated areas, and with climate change, things are changing, and we have to adapt,” Romain said. “In the long term, we may have to look at building catchment areas in the west, which is a large capital investment.”
He also said all reservoirs are maintained regularly.
“What I can say is that the levels are not at acceptable levels, and that is a result of low rainfall, dry weather conditions, and high temperatures. We do regular checks, and studies are conducted to ensure that we are within standards, and where necessary, dredging is done,” he explained.
Only on Thursday, during a news conference at the Ministry of Public Utilities, WASA said reservoirs were struggling to reach their long-term average.
But yesterday, Romain said well drilling was part of a move to have localized supplies.
“Various communities benefit from our well drilling programmes. In Freeport, we have drilled many wells and continue to drill more. The truck-borne supply there is now minimal. We have well-drilling exercises in Moruga, Granville, Chatham, and Carapal. It’s been successful in Tobago. This is part of our effort to augment the supply,” Romain said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales, who turned the sod, said the 14 new wells will improve supplies to over 20,000 people. Asked about the recommendation to set up water catchment areas in the west, Gonzales said he is awaiting the necessary recommendations from WASA’s technical team before moving forward.
“These ideas must go through an engineering process to determine feasibility. A dam in Port-of-Spain might serve dual purposes, including flood retention, but we await the technical input before moving ahead,” Gonzales said.
He explained that WASA has been working on increasing water production by drilling new wells.
Gonzales denied that there is discrimination in water distribution, saying there have been 80 projects completed across the country.
Asked about the plight of Shafeek Ally and his wife Josanne, who have been using water from a contaminated pond, Gonzales said this was an isolated incident and not the norm. He said investigations revealed that the Sou Sou Lands area received pipe-borne water on September 9.
Meanwhile, WASA’s Board Commissioner Alister Bandoo said new water installations will begin soon, and areas like Palo Seco Settlement and Beach Camp will benefit.
“With the completion of phase two of this project, we will begin the installation of pipelines to ensure residents get the supply they need,” Bandoo added.
Resident Denise Jones-Peters said they were thankful for a reliable water supply saying no longer do they have to wait up at night to do laundry.