WATER RESERVOIRS FULL, BUT NO SUPPLY IN PENAL

WHILE the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) recently boasted that three of its four reservoirs are above their long-term average capacity, residents of Penal-Debe are without a supply of the precious commodity. 

Thousands of consumers are affected. 

Affected residents said the situation is exacerbated by the current petit-careme, a period of intensely dry weather during the rainy season. 

WASA officials recently toured some Penal-Debe communities, but made no promises of an efficient supply. 

The situation has been worsened by periodic shutdowns of the Point Lisas desalination facility, Caroni Water Treatment Plant and other WASA operations. 

Those temporary plant closures lead to additional distribution problems. 

Over the years, Penal-Debe residents have heavily depended on truck-borne supplies, but limited funds have restricted that key function by the regional corporation. 

WASA recently said that only its Hollis Reservoir, at Valencia, was below its long-term average volume.