Gonzales: Caroni water plant works ahead of schedule

MINISTER of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales has said despite bad weather on August 9 and 10, the shutdown at the Caroni Water Treatment Plant for maintenance was ahead of schedule.

Speaking with the media at the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) Water Work Booster Station, El Socorro, on August 10, Gonzales said, "The team has reported they are putting additional contingency measures in place to ensure we stay on schedule.

"So far, we are ahead of schedule. The electrical work that was supposed to be done at the Caroni Water Treatment Plant was completed yesterday (Friday)."

He said there were no major hindrances, but contingency measures were in place to ensure the authority remains on schedule.

Gonzales said the Caroni restart is still on track for August 11.

"The south location has two major transmission lines. Based on what is being reported, I am cautiously optimistic that the south transmission line will return ahead of schedule."

He said the north transmission line's reopening depends on the mitigating measures the authority has put in place, and WASA has also been responding to requests for truck-borne water. The minister said there has not been any major upsurge in requests.

"The customer centre is well-resourced and staffed. The call waiting time is down to zero seconds. Everything is in place, and we are ensuring the authority responds to all concerns."

He said trucking services have been deployed in all affected regions and the authority is "monitoring the situation carefully."

Gonzales said the Doppler Weather Radar in Brasso Venado, commissioned on July 6, receives all data and information in real time and is being used to monitor regions.

"If one region is not getting the volumes of water due to the valves and meters installed, the operational control centre will detect it. Proactive measures will then be put in place to ensure customers get water."

Addressing questions about any potential delay, Gonzales said,

"I'm not saying there is a delay. I'm saying that because of the weather conditions, we have to deploy additional resources to ensure we stay on track."

He highlighted the ongoing maintenance efforts, saying, "Three years ago, WASA started a robust maintenance regime. We had to fix 150 pumps and motors. We now maintain a reliability level of over 80 per cent, meaning fewer disruptions at our plants and booster stations."

Discussing the timing of the shutdown, Gonzales said he decided to do it in August when schools are on vacation and reservoirs are healthier.

"Even though there's some inconvenience, it's less than it would be during the dry season."

On future maintenance, Gonzales said there will always be a need for maintenance-planned shutdowns. He stressed that the Caroni Water Treatment Plant produces 75 million gallons of water daily.

"The Caroni plant is the largest in the Caribbean, working 24/7. It must be shut down to ensure proper maintenance. The authority is demonstrating good management to ensure the plant is properly maintained."

The planned shutdown has left 500,000 customers without a water supply.