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Trinidad and Tobago Face Water Crisis Situation
Image Source: Flickr. By: Karolajnat.
When you think of a tropical paradise, you might think of the Caribbean, palm trees, crystal blue water, and so forth. However, when a tropical island is facing a water shortage crisis, it can quickly lose all paradise appeal.
Trinidad and Tobago is facing that very situation now. According to WASA (the Water and Sewerage Authority) the nation’s water supply won’t last until the end of the dry season (in June) if islanders keep at their current rate of water consumption. Even with water restrictions in place, water levels are still on the decline. How bad is it? Well, the country’s largest reservoir—the Arena Dam—has a current level of 40%. Typically at this time of year, the levels would average at about 80%; so the supply is already half of what it should be at this point.
WASA’s Corporate Communications Manager, Ellen Lewis, warned:
“If citizens continue to consume water at present levels, there will be no more water in the nation’s dams by the end of April.” … “The country is now running on just about 1/3rd of its water supplies and still has to serve the needs of 1.3 million citizens. We started off the year with the reservoirs capable of meeting the needs of the country, but now those reservoirs are a third of its regular supply, still having to serve the needs of 1.3 million people.”
Stricter limitations on water usage will be enforced. There have already been 35 people charged with wasting water since February and another 14 who had their supply disconnected because they were selling water illegally. The newer restrictions will limit water schedules to “one regular supply a week to communities”.
I can only imagine how strange it must be to live on an island, surrounded by all that water, but not necessarily be able to use any of it. Also, according to the Met Office, “any significant rainfall in the near future” is highly unlikely, as well. We can only hope that Nature will prove the reports wrong yet again and bring a lot of rain, or else they might be facing quite the long dry season.
By Heidi Marshall
Tags: drought, dry season, limited water supply, Trinidad and Tobago, WASA, water crisis, water shortage
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