Water – a wasting Resource, Part 4

But why blame WASA for the waste? Just as it is written you can’t make bricks without straw, or, to coin a modern idiom, you can’t send e-mails without a computer and the Internet (or Innernet as North Americans prefer to pronounce it), you can’t replace worn out, furred up mains without money – money for manpower and money for equipment.

Way back in the 70’s, the last time TT was awash with oil dollars, Government preferred to spend our oil bonanza on almost everything but a mains replacement programme, probably because of the grief and suffering that programme was (and still is) bound to cause commuters and motorists, plus the fact that, in those days, WASA was spectacularly overmanned. Today, we are again awash with oil and gas dollars yet, refusing to learn from past experience, Government prefers to put our money in new water-winning projects and desalination plants and, among other extravagant projects, the Prime Minister’s official residence and diplomatic centre, and high rise Government buildings with inadequate parking facilities in an already overcrowded capital city rather than address the problem of an essential service – water distribution and the nation’s desperate need for a nationwide mains replacement programme. I make no apology for beating the drum for a mains replacement programme yet again. New water winning projects and desalination plants are Band-Aids when what TT needs is major (and very painful) surgery. However we lack the politicians with the testicular fortitude to do what is so desperately needed.

We thank God, and/or the gods of the weather, for filling our water storage facilities to overflowing, but that’s no consolation or help to those with no, or very little mains water in their taps, who, haplessly, see water leaking, flowing, spouting from ancient, endlessly patched up water mains.

Senior citizens groan when they recall the chaos and utter misery when Lockjoint wreaked havoc on every road while laying down main wastewater drains, and again when TELCO, now TSTT was laying underground cables and pleading with motorists to hold strain because, as the company pointed out in the 1970s–80s, you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs. Should Government ever grant WASA the money for a nation wide mains replacement programme there’ll be no avoiding public outcry, demonstrations (especially when a newly paved road is dug up to lay new mains) and road rage as unscrupulous taxi and maxi-taxi drivers cut in to endless lines of traffic, causing even more chaos on the roads.

No, no, it seems to me the men and women sitting on Government benches in the Red House haven’t the courage to face the inevitable fall-out as mains replacement programmes infuriate electors. We need politicians brave enough to practise “Tough Love” and bear the consequences – to do what’s best for the country – but such I fear are very few and very far between, even in the developed world.

And now for some words of advice on using water wisely from Eric McDonald, consultant and senior project manager of WASA’s Master Plan. But no, he’s not about to deliver another lecture on washing wares and cars or cleaning teeth. Instead he has a suggestion for a magnificent Christmas Present from WASA in – 2009-10-11-12 (or thereabouts).

He began by listing how much water is wasted in houses with old-fashioned toilets and domestic machines.

“Now, if I was to come to your home to tell you I’ll re-do all the plumbing, install water-efficient toilets, washing machines, shower heads and faucets absolutely free, with no cost to you, none at all, wouldn’t people jump at the idea of getting all this free?” he asked.

I agreed, “But what’s the catch?” I countered.

“AH well, first you have to be on the mains 24/7, secondly you have to let us install a water meter and thirdly you’ll have to pay for the amount of water you use or you’ll be cut off”.

Personally I rate that plan as a brilliant idea to get people to use water efficiently. Given the cost of public education campaigns – and their effectiveness, or lack of same – Mr McDonald believes that idea to be a relatively low cost means of persuading the public to accept metering and, when it’s likely to affect their purse, to use water efficiently rather than waste it, as so many do today.

With that, we end the series on “Water, a Wasting Resource”. Next week we’ll review environment matters in the past year, then on to smelters? Please note, despite daily calls to TSTT my fixed landline telephone has been out of service since December 6. When you call my fixed line, my voice mail message has my mobile and cell numbers.

annehilton@gmail.com