500,000 customers to be hit by Caroni plant shutdown next weekend

FILL your buckets and barrels, was WASA's advice to householders ahead of next weekend's shutdown of its water-supply to half million customers nationwide served by the Caroni Water Treatment Plant (WTP).

CEO Kelvin Romain led a briefing on August 2 at the plant near the old terminal of Piarco Airport with director of operations (acting) Shaira Ali and director of corporate services (acting) Alisha Romano. The plant will be shut for 48 hours – from midday August 9-midday August 11.

A recent statement said homes would face a further wait of 24-48 hours afterwards for WASA's pipeline to become re-energised to convey a water-supply, although Ali said it would be six-12 hours for areas in North Trinidad and longer for other areas.

Romain said it was a "pause" and would facilitate WASA's installation of some 123 bulk meters to help monitor its water flow and provide a more efficient and equitable service. The pause will also allow the servicing of valves in WASA's pipelines, he explained.

Romain said data from the meters would be fed into WASA's new Operations Control Centre at St Joseph to help in decision-making and the detection of leaks.

Looking ahead to the pause, he said, "We encourage customers to store water, utilising their tanks." He promised a truck-borne supply would be operating during the pause.

Ali said the Caroni plant supplied 75 million gallons per day, or 31 per cent of TT's water supply. She said WASA aimed to be data-driven and the pause would allow essential upgrades.

"We encourage people to conserve water," Ali said.

Ali listed the areas whose water-supply would be affected next weekend in North, Central and South Trinidad, naming 52 cities, towns and villages.

In the question session, Ali said WASA would help to fill householders' internal storage before the shutdown. An "expanded fleet" would supply truck-borne water, she said.

Ali said after the shutdown, WASA would publish a schedule for supply resumption.

She listed mitigation measures. Firstly, the use of alternative supply sources, primary from Freeport and Carlsen Field WTPs and the Seven Seas Desalination Plant. Secondly the assignment of 12 water trucks for Central and South Trinidad and nine for South West Trinidad. Thirdly, increased production by way of Navet WTP, El Socorro HL ("high lift" which uses water from wells and ground water) and Maraval WTP being pushed to full capacity to supplement reservoirs and supply networks in North and South Trinidad.

Ali listed the planned works as: the installation of meters at Maritime East, Chaguanas, El Socorro, Piarco, Warden and Longdenville; control valves at Maloney, and pressure gauges at the Maritime Roundabout.

Romano said the exercise had been planned from a year ago, with works being timed to have the least impact on the population.

She said the exercise would help WASA calculate a "water balance" between water produced and water sent to customers.

"We can note whether there are any differences in that value, so therefore that will allow is to know whether or not there are leaks in our transmission line."

That action would reduce lost water known as non-revenue water which she said now stands at 31 per cent of water production.

She said the measures would increase WASA's efficiency and improve its equitable distribution.

"These are planned works. WASA wants to be more proactive."

Romano promised a WASA app for people to report leaks, amid a shift from paper-based to digital modalities such as field operators being equipped with tablets.

Asked about possible delayed responses at the WASA hotline during the shutdown, she said, "Our wait time is almost zero now, so we don't anticipate difficulties."

Romain gave figures for the water levels in TT's reservoirs, when asked if those had been improved by recent heavy rains. He said they were "creeping up, in a linear way."

He said the Tobago reservoir was the best performing, now at 75 per cent of its capacity compared to a long-term average of 85 per cent.

"Hollis is about 35 per cent. The long-term average is hovering at about just 55 per cent.

"Navet, we are hitting about 35 per cent, and the long term average is just over 60 per cent."

The Arena reservoir was now 29-30 per cent full, he said, compared to a long term average of 60 per cent.

WASA corporate communications manager Daniel Plenty lamented insufficient rainfall at catchment areas, saying, "It takes consistent rainfall for reservoirs to recover."

Romain added, "Our hopes are still high." Saying climate change is real, he said much rainfall was occurring in West Trinidad, while reservoirs were located in East Trinidad.

Newsday was unable to contact Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales for his reaction.

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath who is the UNC's shadow minister of public utilities told Newsday WASA should first have done maintenance of its infrastructure such as replacing corroded pipes, before metering/monitoring.

"They are putting the cart before the horse."

He said the need to replace valves was owing to a collapse of infrastructure that he blamed on an alleged neglect owing to incompetence and caused by a $500 million cut over two years in WASA's budgetary allocation.

Padarath said in 2021 the Government had promised to build ten modulated water treatment plants, including a first plant in Caroni, but to date nothing had been done.

"No work took place in 2021, 2022, or 2023," he lamented. "You now have a total collapse."

He said infrastructure repair should have been done two years ago, if WASA had known it had wanted a new monitoring system.

Padarath said a water-supply depends 50 per cent on water production and 50 per cent on infrastructure maintenance, but accused the Government of only focussing on mega projects for the former but ignoring the latter.

"They did not need a water monitoring system to tell us the problems at Caroni.

"Nobody needed to tell us we needed to replace valves at Caroni."

Padarath declared, "We have parts of Central and South Trinidad without water for weeks. East Trinidad faces a serious challenge."

WASA has experienced several past cases of supply-disruption including the nine-day closure of the Point Lisas desalination plant last October for maintenance and for one day on May 24, 2022, affecting residents of Central and South West Trinidad. A ruptured water main in Cocorite in April 2022 stymied supply to West Trinidad.

AFFECTED AREAS

North Trinidad (served by Valsayn booster stations): St Augustine, Champs Fleurs, Mt Hope, Santa Cruz, San Juan, Bagatelle, Laventille Road/Febeau Village, Success Village (Laventille), Malick, and Trou Macaque.

North Trinidad (served by El Socorro booster station): Barataria, St Ann’s, Morvant, Cascade, East Dry River, Dibe/Long Circular, Port of Spain, St James, St Barb’s, Cocorite, Gonzales, and Belmont.

Central-South Trinidad: Piarco, Caroni, North and South Bank Rd, Cunupia, Endeavour, Chaguanas, Jerningham Road, Lange Park, Longdenville, Felicity, California, Caroni Savannah Road, Korea Village, Bank Village, Waterloo, Carapichaima, St Mary’s, Mc Bean, Couva, Windsor Park, Esperanza, Claxton Bay, and Philippine.

South West Trinidad: Debe, Avocat, South Oropouche, Penal, Rousillac, La Brea, Siparia, and Fyzabad.