Residents in the north of the island are once again confronting dry taps after fresh ruptures along the Water and Sewerage Company’s (WASCO’s) troubled 24-inch raw water pipeline at Millet disrupted restoration efforts.
The latest setback occurred just hours after crews successfully repaired three major leaks on the ageing system. According to WASCO Chief Executive Officer Zilta George-Leslie, in a statement on February 12th, the situation deteriorated during the process of recharging the line.
“Yesterday evening, our technical team successfully repaired three major leak areas on the 24-inch raw water pipeline at Millet,” George-Leslie said. “Following those repairs, we began a gradual reopening of the network to bring water back into the system and to you, our valued customers. However, during that process, two new ruptures occurred at different locations.”
She explained that the failures underscore the fragile state of the decades-old infrastructure.
“Our assessment shows that these new failures are a direct result of the fragile condition of this aging pipeline, which simply cannot withstand the pressure of initial recharge,” she stated.
“This decades-old pipeline needs to be replaced, and WASCO is in dire need of financing to chart the way forward in addressing critical infrastructure challenges.”
Emergency repair teams were dispatched at first light to tackle the new leaks.
“We assure our customers that our repair teams were dispatched at daybreak this morning. They are on site right now, working to resolve these two new leaks. We anticipate these repairs will be finished by late this afternoon,” George-Leslie said.
Once the repairs are completed, the utility plans to cautiously restore flow to the system.
“Immediately after, we will begin an even more gradual reopening of the line to move water to the Thibaults Treatment Plant and thereafter to the Northern Distribution Network while protecting the integrity of the pipe,” she explained. “Provided these repairs stay on schedule, you can expect the restoration of supply to begin this evening.”
Customers have been warned that supply will not return simultaneously across all communities.
“We wish to remind the public that the system needs time to stabilize. Supply will return to the lower elevations first, while those at the higher elevation and the ends of the network will receive water as the system achieves full pressure,” George-Leslie noted.
Beyond the immediate crisis, WASCO is cautioning that further disruptions may lie ahead due to dry season conditions and the weakened state of the infrastructure.
“We have reached a critical juncture where conservation methods must not only be adopted but practised consistently,” the CEO said. “In the coming weeks and months, we anticipate further reductions in water pressure due to the ongoing dry season, compounded by recurring issues with our aging pipeline infrastructure. Conditions will worsen before meaningful improvements can be achieved.”
She urged households to take proactive steps to safeguard themselves.
“The ongoing dry season has intensified the already low water pressures, and each of us must take personal responsibility by ensuring at least one full week of stored water to safeguard against these challenges,” George-Leslie advised.
WASCO also expressed regret for the prolonged disruption, particularly for customers who had already been experiencing unreliable supply.
“We regret this extended disruption, especially for those of you who have been without a consistent supply from before these emergency works began due to the effects of the ongoing dry season,” she said.
As repairs continue and the system undergoes a cautious restart, residents are being encouraged to conserve water and prepare for possible continued instability in the weeks ahead.