Potable water is a basic essential, but over the last few decades, residents of Uriah Butler Street, New Village in Point Fortin, never had the privilege of a consistent supply of the vital resource.
The lack of a reliable supply had residents travelling, sometimes miles away, to bathe and do laundry. Now, for the first time in decades, taps in this community are flowing consistently.
When Guardian Media visited the street, residents expressed relief at their newfound water access. Just a few months ago, many homes received water only once a week—or sometimes just once a month. Now, most report near 24/7 service.
“I feel great. Once I can wash, cook, clean, and do all the things I need water for, I’m happy,” Shelly Philandez said. Previously, she had to drive to her mother’s home in Cap-de-Ville with bags of dirty laundry to wash, a daunting task while managing a toddler. With consistent water, she now does laundry three times a week.
Others, like 69-year-old Timothy Sanchez, recalled decades of frustration. When Sanchez moved to the street nearly 40 years ago, there was no WASA main, and he had to connect his own line to a pipe at the junction. Though a main was eventually installed, the water pressure dropped over time, and outages became the norm.
“Three months ago, I would go up to three weeks without water. When that happened, I had to ask neighbours for help or go down the road to bathe,” Sanchez said. “Sometimes, water would only come at night, and I would have to wake up to get it.”
Now, Sanchez says his 17-year-old daughter is happy with being able to move around more freely, though pressure issues still occasionally arise.
WASA attributed the improvement to its Southwest Water Improvement Programme, which tackled long-standing infrastructure issues. Projects included drilling three new wells in Granville, building boosters in Bonasse Village and Cedros, and refurbishing Techier Wells #13 and #21. As a result, water delivery across Icacos, Cedros, Palo Seco, Santa Flora, and other areas moved from a supply level of once every nine days or worse to 24/7, 24/3 and 24/2.
Residents of nearby streets like Julien Street benefitted from better water pressure, while streets in Egypt Village and Cap-de-Ville require over 100 metres of new piping. Some unplanned developments, such as those in Spring Trace and Jattan Trace, further complicate service delivery.
Point Fortin MP Kennedy Richards Jr acknowledged the challenges, saying the improvements represented progress but not a complete solution.
“We are dealing with decades-old infrastructure, and addressing these issues takes time. It is not a fly-by-night fix,” Richards said.
The upcoming Chatham Water Treatment Plant is one of several projects aimed at resolving remaining problems.
“We are also dealing with old lines—some over 50 years old—and high pressure from the desalination plant. But the progress so far shows we are on the right track.”
He recalled getting a tongue-lashing from a woman in Icacos last February who claimed she had not received water in her taps for 40 years.
“She is getting water now. She has a 24/3 supply, which is a decent improvement. At the end of the whole programme, her service will go up to 24/7 as we have another well to come on in Granville.”
