$300m pipeline to boost South supply
THE State is spending more than $300 million on a pipeline from Caroni to South Trinidad, to ensure a regular water supply.
This was announced yesterday by Minister of the Environment and Water Resources Ganga Singh, at the launch of the Caroni South Trunk Main Dualling project.
The function was held at the Water and Sewerage Authority’s (WASA) Open-Air Store Facility, Factory Road, Chaguanas.
The project involves pipelines being installed from the Caroni Water Treatment Plant to the San Fernando Booster Station.
“This new project will span 40 kilometres of 44-inch and 36-inch ductile iron mains spanning from the Caroni Water Treatment Plant to the San Fernando Booster,” said Singh. “This project is expected to be completed within nine months at an estimated cost of over $300 million. This project would improve the reliability and security of the service to an estimated 275,000 residents in Central and South Trinidad.
“It will provide redundancy in the transmission system. This means if for any reason there is a failure along the existing main, the new main will continue to supply potable water to Central and South Trinidad,” he added.
Singh told the media: “There are over 200 homes built over this (existing) transmission line. We have sent notices to these people telling them it is a real hazard that if that main was to burst that they would put their lives in jeopardy.
“This main will not be affecting any of those built on existing property. However, it means that if we need to do repairs sometimes, we have to break down people’s properties.”
Singh said over the past three years, 789 pipeline projects were completed at a cost of almost $767 million.
At the end of February, 57 per cent of the population in Trinidad has a 24/7 water supply, an increase from 18 per cent in 2010.
By August, all persons in Tobago should have a 24/7 water supply, Singh said.