Residents in far-flung communities across South Trinidad — many of whom have lived with truck-borne water deliveries for years — are publicly welcoming Government plans for three new desalination plants, but say the build-out timeline cannot answer what households need this dry season.
The three planned facilities are part of a broader Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) capital programme aimed at reducing dependence on aging treatment infrastructure and weather-vulnerable surface sources. WASA has not yet published a full delivery schedule.
Community spokespersons in the deep south have asked the Government to tap into existing low-lying catchment ponds as a short-term measure while the desalination plants move through procurement and construction. The catchment-pond approach has been used informally during past dry-season peaks but has not been formally integrated into WASA’s distribution planning.
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath this week confirmed that WASA has begun a series of clean-up and desilting exercises across the country to mitigate flooding ahead of the rainy season. Residents have asked whether the same desilting programme can be extended to expand catchment-pond capacity in the south.
The desalination announcement comes amid ongoing scrutiny of WASA’s operational performance and concerns from the Citizens Against Noise Pollution group about broader patterns of perceived government inaction on long-running infrastructure complaints.
The Ministry has not yet responded to the catchment-pond proposal.
Source: Trinidad Guardian (April 29–30, 2026)