CWSA teams restore 75 per cent of water supply

While 75 per cent of Vincentians have had their water supply restored following the passage of Hurricane Tomas, some residents of a few communities on St. Vincent may have to wait a few more days, and the Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA) is thanking the public for their patience and understanding.{{more}}

At press time on Monday evening, Manager of the Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA) Garth Saunders told SEARCHLIGHT that it may take a few days before the Majorca, Montreal and Hermitage systems are fully restored.

He said while the Majorca and Montreal systems in the Marriaqua Valley are back up, small areas which these systems service may still be without water for the rest of the week, as the water supply is gradually restored. Both these systems were severely affected by landslides and fallen trees. In the Riley area, a 70ft tree fell on a section of the Majorca transmission main.

The communities served by the Montreal system include Belmont, Calder, McCarthy, Enhams, Diamond, Ratho Mill, Harmony Hall and Choppins, while the Majorca system serves Riley, Ashburton, Gomea, Dauphine, Fairburn, Fountain, Belmont, Fair Hall, Rockies, Dorsetshire Hill, Arnos Vale and Redemption Sharpes.

While the CWSA has been able to gain access to most of the damaged areas of their systems, Saunders said the repair team has not yet been able to get access to the Hermitage system which supplies the North Leeward area from Barrouallie to Richmond. He said this area has major blockages at its intakes and in the interior of the island. Up to Monday evening, access roads to the broken pipe lines were still blocked. He however expressed hope that they would be able to get to the pipes and have the repairs completed by the end of the week.

The new Jennings system, which serves the Windward coast from Colonarie, southwards to Diamond, should be back up and running by midday, today, Tuesday, November 2, Saunders said. The General Manager said this system was also affected by blockages and supply line problems. Here too, accessing the pipelines proved problematic, as in repairing the system, a river had to be crossed “eight or nine times”.

The Mamoon system, a recently commissioned system which supplies the Upper Largo Heights and Green Hill areas of Kingstown, was expected to have been restored by last night.

Residents of Georgetown and its environs, from Chester Cottage in the south to Tourama in the north, were also expected to have their water supply restored by last evening, as work continued on the Perseverance system, which was also affected by landslides and fallen trees.

The Fancy system was only marginally affected and was restored on Sunday afternoon, while up to press time, work was still continuing on the North Windward system which supplies the Sandy Bay and Owia areas.

The Dalloway system, which supplies much of South Leeward, areas of Kingstown, Arnos Vale, Cane Garden and Villa, and which was affected by muddy water during the passage of the storm, has been fully restored, while the Layou water supply system, was the only system which was not affected by the passage of the hurricane.

Saunders appealed to the public to understand that the CWSA workers, in restoring these systems, have to work in difficult terrain, often involving the cutting and clearing of large fallen trees. He also said that heavy pipes have to be transported up the mountainside in areas where there are no roads.

“We are trying our best to have the affected systems restored as quickly as possible,” he said, and thanked the public for their patience and appreciation that the CWSA was able to restore many of the downed systems in less than 24 hours after the hurricane.

While the water systems are down, the CWSA’s water tender will go into the North Windward area to supply the emergency centres and any public facilities, such as hospitals and clinics in those areas, so that residents of the shelters will not be put out by a lack of water.