North residents concerned about 2005 water supply

There are concerns whether the Water And Sewerage Authority (WASA) would be able to provide water for all during the Dry Season and for the rest of the year. Newsday has received numerous complaints from residents in North Trinidad who had been without water for most of last year. They also expressed fear that 2005 would be worse, as the Meteorological Office predicted a very torrid Dry Season. “Last year was bad, sometimes we will get pipeborne water for one day a week and for the rest of the week some of the neighbours will have to put up and buy tank water,” said a resident from Gonzales Circular in Belmont.

“We had to catch rain water for most of last year, but it could have been worse if rain was not always falling,” a Lady Young Road resident said. She said that most of the residents in her area were without water over the Christmas season. “We could not even get tank water and they took away the stand pipes, so we did not have one drop of water,” she stated. For the past week, all attempts by Newsday to contact WASA CEO Errol Grimes to determine whether the authority was prepared to deal with the dry season conditions, proved futile. However, in a release yesterday, the company stated that several areas are without a water supply due to “technical difficulties” affecting the operations of a number of its facilities, as a result of heavy rainfall.

Affected areas include Valencia, Santa Rosa, Brazil/Arena, Carapo, Cumuto, Sangre Grande, Sangre Chqiuito, La Horquetta, Malabar Phase 4, Maloney, Manzanilla, Talparo, Tumpuna Road, Arima (north of the Dial), Pinto Road, Maturia Trace, Alenore Gardens, Calvary Hill Columbus, De Gannes and Logan Streets, Caura Hospital, parts of Tacarigua, El Dorado Gardens, Madoo Hill, parts of Tunapuna, Barataria, Belmont, Champs Fleurs, Cocorite, Curepe, Laventille, Morvant, Petit Bourg, PoS, St Ann’s, Cascade, St James, Westmoorings by the Sea, Woodbrook, parts of Cunupia, Chaguanas, San Fernando, Palmiste, Gulf View, La Romaine, Aripero, Rousillac, La Brea, Debe, Siparia, San Juan, Malick, parts of Santa Cruz, Cascade, Duncan Village, Othaheite, San Francique, Pleasantville, Phillipine, Maracas Valley, along the North Coast including Maracas Bay, Blanchisseuse, Las Cuevas and Tyrico, parts of Upper St Ann’s, Fondes Amandes, Lower Ariapita Road, Sydenham Avenue, La Seiva, Golf Course Road, Saddle Road, Morne Coco Road and Moka.