Snake leads to shutdown of WASA transformer

As a result the electrical fire burned the transformer wiring at the plant last Saturday night.

WASA in a release said repairs to the transformer are expected to be completed by Wednesday evening.

The areas affected include Sangre Grande, Guaico, Manzanilla, Coryal and environs, La Horquetta, Malabar Phases 1, 3 and 4, Tumpuna Road South, Brazil Village, San Raphael O’Meara Road, Carapo, Sunrise Park, Millennium Park, Mausica Road, Crescent Gardens Maloney, Oropune Gardens, Golden Grove Road, Five Rivers, Arouca.

WASA advised customers to manage their water use efficiently during this period of service interruption, as a limited truck-borne water service is available with priority given to health institutions, special homes and schools.

Students of some schools in North Eastern Educational District had to return home yesterday — the start of the new school term — due to no supply of pipeborne water at schools.

A decision was taken by the Ministry of Education to close affected schools where taps ran dry as a result of the shut down since Saturday or the North Oropouche Water Treatment plant which services areas in north east Trinidad.

Some parents complained that WASA should have spent Sunday ensuring schools in the affected areas had supplies in tanks via the utility’s truck borne water supply system.

Parents said they were told to keep their children home from classes until Thursday — an extension of the Easter holidays by three days, because of the dry taps.

Ministry officials confirmed that some schools opened as normal yesterday as the water tanks at these schools were full so as to allow the resumption of classes.

Newsday was told that the snake in question is a Cascabel (Cook’s Tree Boa), a species which is arboreal (living in trees), and was about six feet in length.