PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) says it has put in place emergency measures to ensure residents in the worst-affected areas of Trinidad and Tobago have a consistent supply of water as the country deals with “an unprecedented, harsh, five-month dry season.

“At the onset of the 2024 dry season the authority launched its water conservation campaign. We thank everyone who heeded our conservation messaging and continue to ask all citizens to monitor their water usage as we navigate our way towards the 2024 wet season,” WASA said.

In a statement, the Ministry of Public Utilities said that the situation has resulted in the country’s water supply shrinking by 35 million gallons daily.

“In addition to below-average rainfall activity the impounded reservoirs of the authority have also been negatively impacted by evaporation brought on by excessive heat, a clear effect of climate change.

“These adverse conditions have resulted in production deficits across the network of approximately 25 per cent of surface source production in Trinidad and 45 per cent in Tobago. Collectively, the supply deficit stands at approximately 35 imperial million gallons per day,” the ministry said.

It said as a result, WASA has put in place several measures including the immediate establishment of a command centre to monitor production and supply challenges on a 24-hour basis, increased water trucking capacity, as well as water supply being redistributed “from more resilient areas to adversely affected areas”.

The authorities said that health institutions, senior citizens’ homes, schools and religious institutions will remain a priority.

The ministry said that The Desalination Company of Trinidad and Tobago, a single-purpose entity originally formed in 1999 to sell desalinated sea water to WASA, “will provide an additional supply to bolster south-west and south-central supply zones”.

Seven Seas Desalination, it said, has been contracted to increase production by an additional 300,000 gallons daily.