Padarath complains about once-a-week water supply in Tabeland

Tableland can expect a better water supply at an unspecified future date, Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte promised on Friday in the House of Representatives.

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath asked for MPs to debate the poor water supply to south Trinidad as a definite matter of urgent public importance, but this was disallowed by Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George. However, earlier, he otherwise got Le Hunte to promise a future improvement for Tableland.

Padarath, in an urgent question, alleged WASA had not been sticking to its delivery schedule over the past two months.

Le Hunte listed two problems. Firstly, he said Tableland is supplied by the Navet Dam which is at just 70 per cent of its usual capacity, and so supplies just 14 million gallons per day rather than the expected 20 million. Secondly, Le Hunte lamented that the network of pipes supplying water is more than 70 years old and so is porous and leaks water.

He said WASA told him the scheduled supply is one day per week to Tableland, even if the day water is supplied differs to the scheduled day. "This has been so for a very long time."

Le Hunte said 15-20 kilometres of pipeline must be replaced to remedy the leaks, at a cost of $70 million.

Saying this is now under consideration in his ministry’s water plan, he said Tableland would one day get water four to five days a week. Le Hunte said he is looking at this upgrade along with other projects, and is looking at long-term solutions. “We’ll be looking at it expeditiously.”