Caroni Water Treatment Plant, was now safe, according to World Health

(Trinidad Express) Minister of The Environment and Water Resources Ganga Singh yesterday afternoon announced that the water coming from the Caroni Water Treatment Plant, was now safe, according to World Health organisation Standards. The following is an excerpt of Singh’s statement during yesterday’s post Cabinet press conference.

I have been advised by the Water and Sewerage Authority that at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday 24th February 2015, operators at the Caroni Water Treatment Plant observed an oily substance in the river near the intake to the Plant.

This led to an immediate shutdown of the plant to allow any contamination to bypass the intake and to prevent the contamination of water which it processes. This intake is located on the Caroni river. The Plant was subsequently restarted at 12:30 am as cleaner water was detected in the river. However WASA further reported that through the night, oily sheen was traced to the Carapo (Bridge) and Manuel Congo areas.

The Environmental Management Authority was alerted about the incident and immediately dispatched its Emergency Response and Investigations (ERI) team who investigated the matter. The ERI team scoured areas upriver of the Plant to ascertain the possible source/s of the substance. While conducting investigations, the EMA’s ERI team, alongside WASA, identified the renewed presence of diesel sheens in the river. This prompted a recommendation to again shut down the Plant at 1pm on Wednesday afternoon. Two oil absorption booms were deployed at the intake and higher upstream in the vicinity of the St. Helena area to better protect the WASA intake and the flushing of the system. WASA has advised that all the lines inside the plant have been flushed and they have thoroughly cleaned the clear wells and filters.

For those not familiar with oil booms, these are temporary floating barriers which are used to contain an oil spill. Booms are used to reduce the possibility of polluting shorelines and other resources, and to help make recovery easier.

The EMA and WASA both conducted tests at the well that the water is being pulled from for public use. WASA’s tests were conducted internally at their laboratories and EMA’s tests were conducted at an independent laboratory. The reading as at 6:30pm on Wednesday February 25, 2015, yesterday evening was at 0 milligrams per litre (mg/L) for Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons.

The EMA and WASA will continue to conduct tests along the water course to ensure that the quality of water is suitable at the intake and for intake.

As a result of these tests, WASA restarted operations just after 7pm last night (Wednesday) and is assuring the public that the water coming from the plant after 7pm last night is safe, and meets World Health Organisation standards. However, flushing exercises are currently being carried out, in order to eliminate any residue of the substance that may have entered the distribution system.

WASA along with the EMA’s Emergency Response and Investigations (ERI) are continuing to investigate the source of the contaminant.