Several residents in east Trinidad had their Christmas celebrations disrupted yesterday morning after an eight-inch water main at the Piarco intersection ruptured, spewing thousands of gallons of water onto the roadway.Pipe-borne water supplies to homes in areas in Upper and Lower Five Rivers, Golden Grove Road North and South, Oropune Gardens and parts of Arouca along the Eastern Main Road were affected as a result, said Ellen Lewis, head of corporate communications at the Water & Sewerage Authority (WASA).
Lewis said the pipe broke "due to natural pressure on an aged line". In addition, she said, WASA increased the water supply because of the Christmas demand, and the additional pressure contributed to the rupture.WASA received a report of the incident around 10 am and within half an hour began repairs.
Basdaye Baksh, who resides at the Housing Development Corporation development in Oropune Gardens, told the T&T Guardian around mid-morning, "We were in the middle of Christmas celebrations. Water went not too long now. I don't know what is going on."Baksh said residents in Oropune get pipe-borne water daily but it was not a major problem for her at that time since she had a tank with back-up supplies.
"I don't know about later on."WASA workers had to be called out to work Christmas Day as Lewis said the ruptured main was scheduled for emergency repair yesterday with a 6 pm projected completion time."A truck-borne service has been put in place to distribute water to residents who don't have tanks in the interim," she said.