The Environmental Management Authority yesterday was exploring new leads in the investigation into the source of the contamination at the Caroni Water Treatment Plant.
A team of investigators from the EMA’s Emergency Response and Investigations (ERI) unit tested water at schools, watercourses around the Caroni area and areas near the treatment plant as the probe continued.
The team used a portable hydrocarbon detector to analyse the water. The results in all the tests revealed there was zero milligrams per litre (mg/L) for the total petroleum hydrocarbons, meaning the water was safe and showed near zero traces of contamination.
Contacted last evening, EMA chairman Dr Allan Bachan said investigators were pursuing several good leads. He declined further comment on what the information was, however, saying he did not want to compromise the investigation.
“We have to let the investigation take its course,” he added.
The T&T Guardian yesterday visited numerous areas around Central that were affected on Wednesday by the water contamination from a petroleum-like substance.
Residents in one of those communities claimed a company that stores diesel on its compound was responsible for a leakage which caused the eventual contamination of the water in the Caroni River.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the residents told the T&T Guardian an accident on the company’s compound last week Friday had led to a storage tank leaking diesel into a nearby drain which eventually flowed into the river.
The residents said a truck was filling the tank with diesel when the accident occurred and diesel started spilling out of the compound and into the nearby drain.
A company source said workers on the compound noticed that there was a leak but it went untreated until after the weekend.
The tank, which was half full at the time of the incident, was moved when an accident occurred. After the tank was moved, it was refilled and it was only on Tuesday that company officials began to address the spillage.
A resident said on Tuesday two trucks entered their area, one that was marked clearly as a WASA Estate Police vehicle, as well as a helicopter hovering over the company.
The resident added that the compound was subsequently cleaned, particularly on the outside where the drains were cleaned out and fresh concrete was placed on top of the area where the spill remnants could be seen.