Wednesday, October 3 2012

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Pressure wash: A WASA employee at the Caroni Water Treatment Plant uses a pressure washer to divert the oily contaminant in the river away from the in...

Parts of San Fernando were still without water up to late last evening following a shut down of the Caroni Water Treatment Plant after an oil-like substance was discovered in the Caroni River.

The plant was re-started at 3pm and the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has assured that the water supply being produced is safe and meets all World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for potable water.

WASA said the plant, which was shut down at 11 am, was restarted at 3 pm with the intake area cleared of all remnants of the oily substance. There was no contamination of the water supply leaving the plant since immediate action was taken to stop operations upon discovery of the oily substance, WASA assured in a press release.

WASA said the substance, which it did not identify, was cleared using oil booms.

Regarding the disruption in the water supply, WASA said it will take six to 12 hours for the regular pipe-borne supply to normalise to some of the affected areas. Checks with residents in San Fernando revealed that up to 7 pm water had not yet returned to their taps. However residents in Point Fortin and surrounding areas said water returned at about 6 pm.

WASA also warned against the indiscriminate dumping or release of waste products into rivers and water courses, particularly in areas upstream of its water treatment facilities.

In North Trinidad, the areas affected by the disruption have been supplied by the Valsayn Booster Station A & B and El Socorro Booster Station.





Water disruption

North Trinidad:

Saddle Road, San Juan

Bagatelle, Diego Martin

Laventille Road, Febeau Village

Laventille (including Success Village, Trou Macaque)

Malick

Barataria

St Ann’s

Morvant

Cascade

Port-of-Spain (including East Dry River, St Barbs)

St James (including Dibe)

Cocorite

Gonzales

Belmont



Central/South Trinidad:

Piarco

Cunupia

Chaguanas (including Endeavour, Jerningham Road, Lange Park, Longdenville, Felicity, Waterloo)

California (including Korea Village, Esperanza)

Caroni (including Caroni Savannah Road, Caroni North and South Bank Road)

Carapichaima (including Bank Village) Couva (including St Mary’s, Mc Bean, Windsor Park) Claxton Bay

parts of Philippine



Southwest peninsula:

(San Fernando to Point Fortin)

Debe

Penal

Siparia

Fyzabad