Although thousands of people in central Trinidad will not have a reliable pipe-borne water supply today, the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) will not be able to supply everyone affected by the contamination problem at the Caroni Water Treatment Plant with truck-borne water. This was confirmed yesterday by Daniel Plenty, WASA’s senior manager of corporate communications.
Many residents in central Trinidad awoke yesterday to find their water supply contaminated with a petroleum-like substance. People were unable to brush their teeth, cook or drink the water coming out of their pipes. Many affected residents said the water tasted putrid and smelt like diesel or kerosene.
Many residents were subsequently forced to empty their water tanks. This proved particularly problematic, as the residents who receive water from the plant were recently put on a temporary water supply schedule to facilitate the underperforming plant. “We are ramping up the water truck service. However, it will be impossible for us to supply truckbourne water to everyone. There are certain areas that we must give priority to,” Plenty said.
Schools, senior citizens’ homes, health centres and other medical facilties would receive first priority for truckbourne service, he said. Minister of Environment and Water Resources Ganga Singh confirmed last evening that WASA would be unable to provide a reliable supply to everyone but said WASA officials were working on rectifying the problem as soon as possible. “The plant was working under capacity but it was scheduled to be replaced this week so that it could work up to capacity.
“Around 7.15 pm on Tuesday the petroleum substance was noticed in the water supply and the plant was immediately shut down. At about 12:45 am yesterday the river was cleared of the oily substance, as well as clean-up and disinfection works on the plant,” he added. Singh said later yesterday that after the first discovery of the petroleum-based substance contamination, another “sheen” in the water supply and the plant was once again shut down immediately.
Act of terrorism
Singh said while he could not jump to conclusions about sabotage, if the contamination was an act of foul play it could be likened to terrorism. “It is an act of terrorism against the population because it is impacting against the vital supply of the water during the dry season,” he said. He said an investigation would be carried out by WASA’s estate police, who are working with the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).
“They are going to search and determine the cause of the contamination,” Singh said. He added that the ministry had engaged experts to ensure that type of pollution did not enter the water supply again. “We are trying to determine the source of the pollutant and determine if it was a negligence, an accident or deliberate,” Singh said. Business owner Bobby Maharaj, from Piarco Village, said he wanted whoever was responsible for contaminating the area to be held accountable.
He said many times people frequently dumped their waste in the river and even contractors dumped their refuse into the river water. “They need to find out who is the culprit and charge them for something. They need to do something with the people dumping in the river. They need to understand that there are consequences for dumping refuse in the water,” Maharaj said.
Responding to Maharaj’s plea, the minister said not only did people need to be held accountable but residents needed to report polluters to the police, and there needed to be a change in culture regarding polluting the water courses. He added: “I am calling upon people to be vigilant. There is a pollutant culture. People dump their fridges and all of that into drains. There is a need for a cultural change.
“I want this to be a learning opportunity for people to understand what happens when you pollute the water supply. Throwing something in the drains will lead to the river which will lead to the treatment plants and it will take an extra effort to make potable water for the population.”
When asked if a criminal investigation had been launched into the contamination of the water supply, Senior Superintendent Johnny Abraham informed T&T Guardian that no official report was filed with the Central Police Division.
Central woes
T&T Guardian yesterday went to affected areas in Central Trinidad, where many residents complained of problems with their water supply. Sookesh Harricharan, from Albert Trace, Kelly Village, said when he arrived home from work at about 11 am, he picked up the garden hose and drank from it like he usually does. He immediately spat out the water when he realised that it was not only tasting bad but smelling foul.
Harricharan said only he drinks from the hose. Now, the family has to empty all their water supply. “We normally boil the water and drink it but I drink from the pipe. I am feeling fine now but I don’t want my children drinking the water,” he said Harricharan said he did not know what he was going to do about a water supply, adding he could not even go to a friend or relative for water because everyone in the area had the same problem.
“We get our water every other day. Now we have to empty the tank. You can’t use the water to do anything,” he said. Piparo Village resident Kaloutie Sumarsingh-Francis was upset about the situation, saying she had been trying all day to contact WASA for relief.
“I think it is a serious issue. I am trying to call WASA but no one is answering. I did not smell anything but I get my water from the tank. Now I have to empty out my tank because we have a baby here and we cannot risk her getting sick,” she said. Many residents also expressed concern about having to empty their tanks but they said they were not concerned about their drinking water because they often received dirty water and only drank bottled water.