01 Aug Utilizing technology to transform the water network
As seen in the report “Trinidad and Tobago: Powering to the next level“ distributed with USA TODAY
The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) of Trinidad and Tobago is confident it can address leakage issues and increase efficiency across its network of pipelines thanks to an increase in funding and its introduction of the latest technology.
Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government signalled its intentions to address legacy issues in the water sector and the wider challenges posed by changes in rainfall by launching and hosting the first-of-its-kind Caribbean Regional Conference, Water Loss 2023.
“Our water treatment plants are outdated and we realized the need to advance our existing infrastructure,” explains Ravi Nanga, Chairman, WASA. “We used the conference to highlight the difficulties we have and attract experts in particular fields to assist us. We did not know how many leaks we had across our network, so we had to start using technology to map them out. We located specific software that allows us to track leaks in real time and that’s now the route we are taking, to embrace technology.”
In order to further transform the water network, a loan of $65 million from the Inter-American Development Bank was secured. “Earlier this year we opened a new wastewater treatment plant that was funded by the IDB,” says Nanga. “There are now several projects that will involve advancing our existing infrastructure, such as pipes that are more than 100 years old and water treatment plants. These will especially help those communities affected during the rainy season when water becomes very muddy and very turbid, which in the past has overwhelmed our treatment plants.”