Schools shut on water woes

TODAY some schools in North Trinidad were closed early because of a lack of water due to a burst transmission main/pipe.

Parents of pupils at St Mary’s College and Mucuparo Girls RC Schools told Newsday their children were sent home early, yet other schools told Newsday they had stayed open as they had water-tanks with a sufficient supply, including St Francis (formerly Belmont Boys), Morvant Laventille, Mucurapo West Secondary Schools.

Both Minister of Public Utilities Robert Le Hunte and the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) told Newsday the disruption in the water supply was being fixed, alluding to Tuesday or Wednesday.

In a statement, WASA said customers in parts of North Trinidad (from Piarco Airport to Powder Magazine and from El Socorro to Santa Cruz) served by the Caroni Water Treatment Plant faced a disruption in their pipe borne water supply due to a rupture in a 36 inch diameter transmission main, along the Beetham Highway last Sunday. Ongoing emergency repairs were expected to be completed by 6 am Tuesday.

WASA said that upon completion of repairs, it may take up to 36 hours for the scheduled pipe-borne service to be normalized to some areas.