Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) acting CEO Jeevan Joseph has announced plans to carry out major upgrade works at the Acono Water Treatment Plant that would result in production increasing from 375,000 gallons per day, to over 500,000 gallons per day.
WASA said these works, which are expected to be undertaken under the next package of Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded projects, will improve the level of service to approximately 11,353 residents in Acono Road, Belle View, Harmony Drive, Acono Gardens, Sarame Gardens, Green Hill, Caurita, Acono Ridge, Guamal, and Maracas St. Joseph.
The announcement came during the final stop on a tour of parts of the Tunapuna constituency by the
WASA Executive Evolution Team in their ongoing infrastructure assessment and community engagement tour initiative. Member of Parliament for Tunapuna and Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, accompanied the team which visited several locations gaining a firsthand assessment of the existing aged infrastructure and consumer needs.
One of the first stops was Eden Street, Tacarigua, where residents identified various leaks impacting the community. In response, the WASA team assured residents that the leaks, one of which requires collaboration with T&TEC, would be addressed in the coming week. Similarly, at the next stop on Cassie Street, El Dorado, residents also pointed to pipeline leaks. Based on the nature of those leaks, acting CEO Joseph gave a commitment that an assessment of the distribution pipeline along the street will be conducted, to determine whether it should be replaced.
The team then proceeded to Target Street, El Dorado, where they met with Councilor for Caura/Tacarigua, Prakash Bharath along with residents. A project is to be undertaken to replace existing pipeline infrastructure with 1.7 kilometres of 400mm pipeline along Karamath Road, from Caura Royal Road to El Dorado Road, improving the level of service to over 2,000 customers in Paradise East, Paradise West, Caura, El Dorado, Madoo Hill, Karamath Road and environs.
While on tour at the Acono facility, acting CEO Joseph announced that based on various projects to be undertaken, Tunapuna is expected to be one of the first areas to achieve full 24/7 service. This came in response to concerns by Minister Alexander about the unreliability of supply to residents at the high
elevations of Wharf Trace. Mr. Joseph said the issue would be solved with the installation of a larger pump.
Minister Alexander concluded the tour, praising the WASA team for their efforts, as he pointed to feedback from several of his constituents, that long-existing complaints, and challenges with their service, have been addressed.
The WASA Executive Evolution Team nationwide plant and community engagement tour aims to assess infrastructural requirements and water supply challenges, particularly in underserved communities throughout the country.