WASA works out schedule for Couva South

THE WATER and Sewerage Authority (WASA) on Sunday said a senior team from the authority met with Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh and residents on Thursday, after they complained of a lack of a proper water supply.

In a release, WASA said the authority's team was led by acting chief executive officer Sherland Sheppard and the meeting also included local government representatives. It was held at WASA's head office in St Joseph and the parties discussed water supply scheduled and other issues affecting customers in the constituency.

The release said, WASA's head of operations for South, Anand Jaggernath, presented details on the current source of supply, production capacity and distribution systems in the various communities in Couva South.

"He also outlined the existing challenge in maintaining balance between the supply and demand for water in the area,which led to the implementation of the current one in nine days schedule.

"Production at the Freeport Water Treatment Plant is 2.6 million gallons per day (mgd), while the demand for the area is estimated at 3.5 mgd. As a result water from the Caroni Water Treatment Plant is used to supplement the supply from the Freeport plant. Consequently, reduced

production at the Caroni facility due to the effects of the dry season, has impacted this supplemental supply," WASA explained.

At the meeting, the WASA team outlined several measures already in train and plans that will bolster the supply from the Freeport plant, leading to an

improved service to customers in the area.

Some of these measures include the completion of rehabilitation works on two wells at the Freeport pant by the end of March, which will increase production to just over three million gallons per day. This, WASA said, will lead to an improvement in the schedules to the area from one in nine days to minimum one-two days per week.

WASA is also working on gaining access to another well to further boost the amount of water available for distribution for Couva South and it is waiting on funding for two pipeline projects that will deliver an increased volume of water to the area from the Caroni system.

Sheppard also assured Indarsingh that the authority will press ahead with ongoing and planned works aimed at improving levels of service to customers in the constituency.

Caroni Central MP Arnold Ram was also apprised of plans for his constituency. WASA said communities in that constituency are receiving the following supply of water: Preysal –from March 3-5; Siewdass Road – March 6-7 and Chickland from March 7-8.