Gopee-Scoon: Desalcott water production restored

ACTING Leader of Government Business Paula Gopee-Scoon has said water production at the Desalination Company of TT's (Desalcott's) Point Lisas plant has been restored, after it was hampered by a high build-up of algae in the plant's pipes.

Gopee-Scoon was responding to a question from Opposition Senator Wade Mark in the Senate on Tuesday.

"Desalcott is contractually obligated to supply WASA (Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) with 40 million imperial gallons of desalinated water daily."

She said half that amount "is made available to the companies at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate.

The other half is distributed by WASA in Central and South Trinidad.

Gopee-Scoon said, "It is to be noted that the supply of water from Desalcott accounts for approximately 19 per cent of WASA's total water production."

As a private company, Gopee-Scoon added, WASA "has absolutely no control over its (Desalcott's) operations and its level of production."

She said anything which affects Desalcott's operations will have an effect on WASA "in terms of its ability to provide a reliable supply of pipe-borne water to areas in Central and South Trinidad which are provided with water from the desalination plant."

Gopee-Scoon repeated comments by Desalcott officials at a news conference last week about its production being affected by a build-up of algae in the pipes at its Pt Lisas plant.

She said, "WASA has advised that algae bloom (at the Desalcott plant) has been reduced and as at today (Tuesday), the production of Desalcott has been restored to 40 million imperial gallons of water."

Gopee-Scoon did not complete her response to Mark, as Senate President Nigel De Freitas told her the time allowed for answering urgent questions had expired.