Rachael Espinet and Derek Achong
A fire at the Caroni water treatment plant, Piarco may cause disruptions of the water service throughout many parts of the country.
At around 10.45 am, welders were doing repairs to an area of the plant, when a spark ignited a fire on the building. Daniel Plenty, head of communications for the Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) told T&T Guardian that fire officers responded immediately to the scene. Within a half an hour the fire was contained.
All operations on the plant were halted and at 11 am the fire officers gave Wasa workers the all clear to access the plant.
Plenty said repair works have begun and, "Wasa is working assiduously to have the plant up and running again."
He anticipates that the repairs should be completed by 6 pm.
However, as Caroni is the largest water treatment plant in the area, there will be a disruption of service throughout the country in areas which include La Brea, Caroni, San Juan, Barataria and Cocorite.
Wasa also sent out a notice to people in parts of North-West Trinidad who are served by the Tucker Valley Pumping Station that there will be a disruption in their water supply tomorrow between the hours of between the hours of 8 am and 4 pm.
This is unrelated to the fire. The disruption of service is in order to facilitate an interconnection at Guave Road, Chaguaramas.
Affected areas include Carenage, Pt Cumana and Glencoe.
Parts of Trinidad affected by the fire in the Caroni water treatment plant:
North Trinidad served by the Valsayn Booster Station A & B:
Saddle Road, San Juan
Bagatelle
Laventille Road, Febeau Village
Success Village, Laventille
Malick
Trou Macque
North Trinidad served by the El Socorro Booster Station:
Barataria
St Ann's
Morvant
Cascade
East Dry River
Dibe, Long Circular
Port-of-Spain
St James
St Barb's
Cocorite
Gonzales
Belmont
Central and South Trinidad:
Piarco
Caroni North and South Bank Road
Cunupia
Endeavour
Chaguanas
Jerningham Road
Lange Park
Longdenville
Felicity
California
Caroni Savannah Road
Korea Village
Bank Village
Waterloo
Carapichaima
St Mary's
Mc Bean
Couva
Windsor Park
Esperanza
Claxton Bay
parts of Philippine
Southwest peninsula from San Fernando to Point Fortin
Debe
Penal
Siparia
Fyzabad
Wasa advised that may take up to eight hours for the service to normalise to some affected areas.