No water crisis in TT

THERE is no water crisis in Trinidad and Tobago, but the population is being strongly advised to conserve water nevertheless. This was the word yesterday from the Water Sewerage Authority (WASA) with additional assurances from the TT Meteorological Services that the country is not in the middle of a drought. WASA officials told Newsday that within recent weeks, its offices have been bombarded with calls from concerned citizens about water shortages in their respective districts.

Reports reaching Newsday suggest that the primary areas of concern are located in sections of Port-of-Spain and along the East-West corridor. In the case of Port-of-Spain, problems with the water supply have been attributed to repair works being undertaken to a 36-inch main along the Beetham Highway. However, WASA officials said there is no need for anyone to panic because there are substantial levels of water in all of the nation’s reservoirs despite the below average rainfall for this time of the year.

They indicated that these reserves were saved through the prudent management practices employed by WASA but stressed that the population must also do their part in helping to conserve water. “At any time of the year, people are encouraged to conserve water,” the WASA officials stated. They reiterated that although the reservoirs are not currently at full capacity, the country is not facing any water crisis as was the case around the same period last year.

Their view was supported by senior meteorologist Emmanuel Moolchan who said the current data does not suggest any abnormal levels of rainfall for this period of the year or that TT is in the middle of an unusually long dry spell. He explained that March is traditionally “our driest month” and the rainfall levels recorded over the previous months have been normal.