Water scam being probed as Public Utilities Minister files police report

Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales says police are probing allegations of water racketeering in the Sangre Grande district.

He said this stems from reports that residents are made to pay between $300 and $500 for a truckload of water and claims water installations are tampered with.

Gonzales made these remarks during a Water and Sewage Authority double sod-turning ceremony for the Guanapo and North Oropouche water treatment plants at Guanapo Heights, Arima, on February 19. He was joined by his parliamentary colleagues, Minister of Planning Penelope Beckles-Robinson, Youth Development Minister Foster Cummings, and Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Dr Rai Ragbir.

Gonzales, the acting Attorney General, said people involved in illegal water-trucking see the development of both plants as a "death knell" to their
activities. Gonzales believes these individuals will not sit idly by when the water supply is improved.

Gonzales believes it is crucial people receive a steady supply of water. He added there are "people in dark corners conspiring" to affect the water supply when the plant comes online.

He emphasised families should spend their money on more important needs, such as buying extra food, rice, flour, or providing for their families and children’s education, rather than spending hundreds on truck-borne water. He said the issue of illegal water trucking is not limited to Sangre Grande.

"It is appalling that people are spending money on water instead of meeting their basic needs."

Speaking with media, Gonzales said while he could not delve into the investigation, evidence he had was forwarded to the police Anti-Corruption Unit. He said his ministry is handling it from an administrative perspective and stressed the police are responsible for handling it from a criminal perspective.

Asked about the specific crimes involved in such activity and the potential penalties, Gonzales said, "That is the responsibility of the police to determine.

"They will assess whether any laws have been broken, and if so, they will take the appropriate action."

Last June, Sangre Grande Regional Corporation (SGRC) chairman Kenwyn Phillip said the corporation had been overwhelmed with calls from residents in desperate need of water, amidst limited availability of truck supply.

He said the residents also told him about an illegal water trucking racket involving some SGRC employees.

Earlier in January, Foreign Minister Amery Brown announced in the Senate, while responding to a query from UNC Senator Wade Mark, an investigation had been launched into complaints made by residents of Sangre Grande regarding the alleged illegal water trucking scheme involving corporation employees.

Gonzales said he expects the outcome of the investigation will result in action being taken against those culpable. He highlighted a similar incident in Mon Diablo, where a contractor was charged.

"It was never made public because it was not my duty or the duty of the Ministry of Public Utilities to make it public. But WASA, working together with the police and sharing the requisite information, resulted in some of the operators being placed before the courts."

He reiterated the situation in Sangre Grande was not uncommon and there have been other places dealing with the same issue. Gonzales said due to interventions by the authority to improve the supply of water and investing in automation and digitisation, the situation will improve.

"This will make it very difficult for those individuals to engage in these types of practices. With the commissioning of our operational control centre sometime last year, WASA is digitising and automating its water distribution system to the extent that whenever a disruption occurs, that information is fed almost in real time to the operational control centre so that the appropriate action can be taken."

Last year, the Cumuto/Manzanilla MP broke ranks from the UNC and voted with the Government on whistleblower legislation, citing reports of corruption at the SGRC. Ragbir, who was present, declined to comment on the allegations raised by Gonzales.

In an interview with Newsday on February 19, Phillip said WASA has a contract with the corporation. The corporation has three water tenders that provide water to areas lacking pipeline water. Phillip explained the corporation submits a list of areas to the department and rotates delivery accordingly.

"I cannot speak for the administration, but as for the corporation, we have asked in meetings to place water checkers on these trucks for accountability. Under our last CEO, we had checkers and the results were exceptional."

He said under current CEO Betty Ann Dial, the corporation had requested the water checker programme continue but was told it could not be afforded.

"We are in the process of creating a new water trucking policy, which will include contracted water trucks and water checkers. This policy will be sent to the public health committee for approval and will be ratified at a statutory meeting. Once ratified, it will implement it."

Phillip said the checker programme tracks where the water is going and ensure recipients in areas without piped water are given water, rather than people who already have.

"Once it’s passed, we will allocate the necessary funding for water checkers. I will also send a copy of the policy to the ministry."

Phillip stressed the council acts in accordance with the laws and lamented the issues at the Mandolin booster station.

"I live in Mandolin, and after the booster pump, I still have to wait 15 days for a water cycle. As a councillor, I could request water from the corporation, but I wouldn’t do that because I’m going through the same problem hundreds of people in the area are facing."

He said he calls WASA because he is a paying customer. Other times, he visits a nearby spring to get water. Asked if residents are charged for truck-borne water, he said, "I cannot confirm or deny that. I’m not sure about that."

Newsday spoke with Dial about the issues but she said, "Unfortunately, I will not be able to (comment). I don't really follow the news or politics, I apologise. I'm unable to give a statement."

Newsday sent questions to WASA CEO Keithroy Halliday, who said an audit was ongoing and he could not comment further before it was complete.