Minister of the Environment and Water Resources Ganga Singh says there are no plans for a desalination plant in the near future to boost the water supply.
Singh was speaking with members of the media yesterday at the launch of the Beetham Transmission Pipeline project opposite the Ministry of Works on the Beetham Highway. “People need to conserve and water is expensive to treat it and to bring it to your home. People need to be responsible and conserve. There is not any plan for that, we have the expansion of Desalcott (Desalination Company of T&T) but there is no plan unless it is associated with an industrial estate,” he said.
Singh added that there had been a vast improvement in the water supply. “There has been a significant improvment in water supply and when we (the People’s Partnership) entered government the level of service was 18 per cent 24/7 and now the it has reached 70 per cent. We are constantly improving that,” he said.
During the launch, Singh said the Beetham transmission mains replaced the mains from the Black River west to the Beetham Flyover. The main which is 60 years old is 30 inches in width and will be replaced at a cost of $26 million. “The water will supply an estimated 20,000 in Port-of-Spain and environs. In the last five years we have collected data there were 200 leaks and several major disruptions in the water supply.” He said another main would be replaced at Big Yard in Carenge for $6.5 million.
Water woes in North East
In a statement yesterday WASA said customers in parts of north east Trinidad who are served by the North Oropouche Waterworks are currently without a pipe borne water supply as a result of a leak on the 42 inch transmission main at Plantation Road, Valencia. Emergency repairs are expected to be completed by 6 pm today.
The areas affected include:
Sangre Grande, Guaico, Manzanilla, Coryal and environs
La Horquetta
Malabar Phases 1, 3 and 4
Tumpuna Road South, Brazil Village, San Raphael
O'Meara Road
Carapo
Sunrise Park, Millennium Park
Mausica Road, Crescent Gardens
Maloney
Oropune Gardens
Golden Grove Road
Five Rivers, Arouca