Ruptured main fixed

UPDATE:

THE water supply to Port of Spain and environs will return to full flow today. Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte said water will be back on line gradually. Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Le Hunte said the rupture in the 36-inch-diameter main along the Beetham Highway last Sunday has been repaired.

He said people in certain areas have already started to get water. “The problem was resolved today (yesterday) at around 9 am. The welding started at around 6 am and they were completed by 9 am.

“Water started flowing in the line at about 9 am, so between the hours of 9 and 11 today (yesterday) we will start a slow-flow production of water, because we have to manage the flow going through. Customers will not be able to use the first set of water, because it will be very dirty in the pipeline,” Le Hunte said.

The interruption in the water supply resulted in thousands of schoolchildren being sent home yesterday and Monday, this being only the second week of the new school term.

Residents in Port of Spain, Woodbrook, Belmont, Curepe, Mt D’Or, Piarco, Santa Cruz and environs have had no pipeborne water since Sunday. Le Hunte said full production was expected to be back up some time after noon on Tuesday.

“We are talking about 55 million gallons of water coming through,” he said, adding that it would take some time to get back up to full production, “but the line is fixed and we have started water production.

“There are some areas who confirmed they are receiving water this morning, but of course this water has to come in, build pressure, and move throughout the country especially all the way up to the east and all the way down to Carenage. Not everyone will get water immediately, so by Tuesday night or Wednesday morning there will be a full flow of production to those who have been affected.”

Closed schools in PoS on Tuesday, as shown by their presence of students on Frederick Street at noon, included South East Secondary, St Joseph’s Convent, Bishop Anstey High School, Moulton Hall Primary, St Catherine’s Anglican Primary and Belmont Government Primary.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Thousands of students in Port of Spain and environs who lost another day of school today because of no water will have water on Wednesday.

Residents of Port of Spain, Woodbrook, Belmont, Curepe, Mt Dor, Piarco, Santa Cruz and environs have been experiencing a lack of pipe borne water because of a rupture in a 36-inch-diameter main along the Beetham Highway last Sunday.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte said the issue had been fixed.

“The problem was resolved today at around 9 am. The welding on the main started at around 6 am and it was completed by 9 am. Water started flowing in the line at about 9 am, so between the hours of 9 am and 11 am today we will start a slow flow production of water because we have to manage the flow going through. Customers will not be able to use the first set of water because it will be very dirty in the pipeline.”