Residents of several communities in Port-of-Spain are facing further water supply disruptions as emergency electrical and mechanical repairs at the Picton II Booster Station are expected to continue until Friday.
The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), in a notice issued on Tuesday, November 11, said the repairs were ongoing and were scheduled to be completed on November 13.
The latest notice follows an earlier service interruption notice issued on November 8, when WASA advised customers that emergency electrical repairs at the same facility had affected operations. At the time, the authority estimated that supplies would be restored by 6 pm on November 10.
The disruptions have also drawn criticism from Laventille East/Morvant MP Christian Birchwood, who, in a statement issued on November 8, described the situation as an ongoing water crisis affecting residents of Morvant.
Birchwood said families had endured prolonged periods without water, affecting their ability to cook, bathe, clean and carry out basic daily activities.
Speaking both as the constituency’s parliamentary representative and a resident, he said he was experiencing the water problems firsthand.
He called on WASA’s executive leadership, the Minister responsible for Public Utilities and the Government to intervene, demanding an explanation for the ongoing disruptions, a definite timeline for restoring a reliable supply and urgent arrangements for consistent truck-borne water distribution to affected communities.
The Picton II Booster Station supplies water to the Picton I, Laventille and Gonzales Booster Stations, as well as the Picton II Tank, which services the Coblentz Booster Station.
WASA listed the affected communities as Laventille, Gonzales, Belmont, Upper Cascade, St Ann’s, Hololo, Plaisance, Picton and Trou Macaque, among others.
The authority cautioned that customers may have to wait between 12 and 24 hours for supplies to return to normal after the repairs are completed.
WASA apologised for the inconvenience and advised customers seeking further information to contact its Customer Contact Centre at 800-4420 or 800-4426.
