Desalcott: Shutdown will improve efficiency

THE current shutdown of the Desalination Company of TT (Desalcott) will allow work that will improve the plant's future efficiency, the company's general manager has said.

John Thompson made the statement during a news conference at the company's office in Point Lisas.

It was called to update the public on the planned shutdown of Desalcott's plant for annual maintenance from October 16-24.

Thompson recalled the plant began operations in March 2002. Since then new technology has been introduced to improve its efficiency.

Over time, and including the shutdown, he said, "We are improving our systems with the latest technology and improving redundant fibre-optic systems."

This is to ensure a reliable backup system is in place, should the main system go down.

Thompson said, "The future is still the same. We will still continue to upgrade as new systems, more efficient membranes become available."

He said Desalcott remains committed to playing its part to providing the public with a reliable water supply. But even after the maintenance work is completed, Thompson said there could be times when the plant's production is disrupted, though he added: "Many items (of maintenance) that we are doing through this shutdown are aimed at improving the reliability of the plant."

He added that because of work Desalcott had done in the past, those down times had been reduced from 15 to five days.

Thompson said Desalcott normally produces very close to the 40 million gallons of water per day that it is contracted to provide to WASA.

"Any shortfall is very small, between half and five per cent."

Acting Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) CEO Kelvin Romain told the media a continuation of Desalcott's contract with the authority was a matter for Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales.

In the budget debate in the House of Representatives in October 2020, Gonzales said the UNC had burdened the country's taxpayers with a monthly US$7 million bill for desalinated water.

"This take-or-pay contractual arrangement was initially due to expire in 2022 when it was first entered into, but was further extended to 2036 when the UNC came into power in 2010."

During a tour of WASA water drilling sites in Couva and Freeport in April, Gonzales said the Government intends to wean domestic customers off water from Desalcott and improve WASA's supplies to satisfy their needs.

"Our objective is that in so far as it relates to the domestic (water) grid, customers will be supplied with water from underground sources and from our surface water sources (by WASA)."

He said Desalcott could continue to provide water to industrial plants.

Among the initiatives which Government is exploring to boost WASA's water production is constructing a desalination plant in Cedros which it will run.

Thompson said Desalcott's price for providing WASA with desalinated water is lower than that charged by other desalination companies in other parts of the Caribbean.