Gonzales: Reservoirs not at crisis level

DESPITE the country experiencing the "worst drought" in recent memory, Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales said the reservoirs are not in crisis.

Gonzales was speaking on March 25 after the commissioning of the Bad Hill, Plymouth Pipeline Development Project.

On March 5, the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) announced new water-supply restrictions as well as a hose ban in effect until June.

Gonzales said, “The reservoirs are not in a state of crisis, they are at a level where it is very consistent with the dry conditions.
"The Met Office continues to provide us with the necessary support and the necessary information. We are not in a state of crisis, but again, once we continue to engage in conservation practices, then we would go through the dry season without having to reach a crisis position.

"So most of them are within their long-term average, and I cannot point to any reservoir that is in the red zone as yet.”

The country’s four reservoirs are Hillsborough, Caroni-Arena, Hollis and Navet.

Asked about the effectiveness of WASA's conservation measures, he said: “By and large, the country has responded positively. People are doing what they’re supposed to do.”