kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
Although the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) offers a truck-borne supply, customers in various parts of Penal pay up to $600 fortnightly to fill their water tanks
There is a water treatment plant and several wells in Syne Village, but residents in nearby communities get water in their taps only twice a month and when that supply runs out, they call WASA’s 800-4H2O hotline and wait up to 30 minutes in a queue.
Nirmala Bahadoo says the calls often disconnect before she can speak to a customer service representative (CSR).
Bahadoor, who lives at Anthony Branch Trace, said she struggles to manage consumption for herself, her husband and two children with five 400-gallon water tanks. She fills her tanks when there is water in her tap, but it takes about 14 days to get that supply. That is how often she can do laundry, meaning that her family has to buy enough clothes to last 14 days. Only school uniforms and work attire get washed between water cycles.
Bahadoor said when she calls WASA’s hotlines, a CSR gives her a reference number, but she has not received a truck-borne supply from WASA for the past two years.
“If I call on a Monday or a Tuesday they say I will get water by Friday or Saturday. Friday and Saturday come, no water. You would call back Monday, and they would say Tuesday they would send the water, and that would be their latest update. It is like a runaround. They are just giving you something to hold,” Bahadoor said.
Vidyanand Ramroop said when WASA supplies pipe-borne water to Jaimungal Trace, the pressure is too low to fill his five tanks. He gets at least two tanks filled every 12-15 days and that supply lasts up to two weeks if his family does not wash clothes.
He said up to two years ago, there was water in the taps at least one day a week and his family was able to do more chores.
“It does not make sense to try to call them (WASA) because you would spend two hours on the phone. You get disconnected eventually, so we have to buy water a few times.
“You are paying about $600 for a truck-borne supply. Probably twice last year, we had to do it after the supply ran out because you do not get water for more than two weeks,” Ramroop said.
Penal Quinam Road Village Council chairman Robin Ramkissoon said some private suppliers charge $300 to $700 per truck.
Ramkissoon, who lives with his wife, daughter, grandchild and three pet dogs, said he is never able to fill his four tanks and since he refuses to purchase water, he conserves by not watering plants or washing his car and using a bucket of water to bathe.
He appealed to Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales: “Please help us. Let us get a regular water supply so we can be happy in the area, just as you and others are happy getting water.”
Miles away on Solomon Knox Road, Glenford Ramnarine said more than a decade ago, residents clamoured for infrastructure to get pipe-borne water. It was a new life when water started flowing into their taps but since 2019, the days they get water have been fewer.
Following a protest at Latchoos Road a week ago, Ramnarine asked for a truck-borne supply from WASA and got it. Two days of rain also helped fill his barrels.
However, March 25 was the last time there was water in the community.
“Now they brought the water for me. The truck-borne was here, but why do we have legal connections on WASA lines, and you have to order truck-borne? I find something is totally wrong with that,” he said.
Ramnarine explained that the water from private suppliers is free, but the transportation cost is between $300 to $400 per trip. He said residents pay $304 a quarter to WASA for six days of water and if there has been a problem since 2019, WASA must examine and address it.
