Hardware stores run out of tanks as consumers prepare for water shutdown

As the desalination plant grinds to a halt today, hardware stores in south Trinidad have run out of water tanks.

Hardware owners said yesterday because of the demand from consumers wanting extra tanks to store water during the shutdown, they only have been selling tanks by orders.

Sales desk manager of Dansteel Hardware Mahabir Gocool said his supply of water tanks ran out two weeks ago after the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) announced the impending water shortage.

He added: “We had lots of people asking for the 1,000-gallon tank. We have orders at Rotoplastics but we have not yet received our stocks. 

“We are getting lots of queries for water tanks but we cannot sell any because we have none to sell.” 

Owner of A&S Hardware, Aaseen Ali, who got a supply of tanks on Saturday, also said demand was high.

“We sold over 300 tanks for the past week. Most of the sales were 400-gallon tanks. The impending water shortage has really caused sales to soar,” Ali said. 

He said a 1,000-gallon tank was being sold for $2,400. Several other hardwares — AM Hardware at Claxton Bay, Ramlagan Hardware in Couva, CP’s Hardware in Duncan Village, SKS Hardware in San Fernando, Bhagwansingh’s Hardware in Marabella, R’s Hardware in Claxton Bay, La Romaine Discount Hardware and Hardware Masters in Point Fortin — did not have any water tanks yesterday.

A spokesman from La Romaine Discount Hardware said she made an order to Rotoplastics months ago but had not received the supply. Last week, WASA announced the desalination plant in Point Lisas would be shutdown for maintenance work from January 15 to 24. The shutdown at the Desalination Co (Desalcott) is expected to cost WASA approximately $4 million.

 
WASA already has said all reservoirs are 100 per cent full and a truck-borne water supply would be provided for affected areas. A water distribution schedule is also in place for facilities like schools and hospitals. In a statement, WASA said the desalination plant provided 30mgd of desalinated water to WASA, which is used to supply the Pt Lisas Industrial Estate and to augment supply to areas in central and south Trinidad. 

To address the shortfall in supply, the authority said it would undertake several measures to ensure a sustained and reliable level of service. “There will be no ten-day interruption/disruption in service to customers but rather temporary schedules will be introduced and service will be gradually normalised when the desalination plant is returned to operation,” WASA said.

Some of the measures being undertaken by WASA are:
• Re-allocating water from the Caroni Water Treatment Plant.
• Diverting supplies from elsewhere to supplement supply to certain areas, Central and South.
• Temporary supply schedules.
• Storage at critical service reservoirs.
• Increased water trucking.
• Ramped-up leak repairs and system upgrades.

WASA hotline 800-4420/4426 for affected consumers to use during the ten-day water disruption.