The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has successful secured a Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) US$546m loan for the construction of wastewater treatment plants nationwide, the first two of which will be constructed in San Fernando and Malabar.
Yesterday, Environment and Water Resources Minister Ganga Singh made the announcement as he turned the sod to begin the $7.4m refurbishment of the Orchard Gardens Wastewater Treatment Plant, Chan Ramlal Street, Chaguanas.
The Orchard Gardens project, he said, is also being funded through the multi-million dollar IADB loan and will service 2,200 residents of Orchard Gardens Housing Development. General Earth Movers was awarded the contract, but a completion date was not provided.
The wastewater treatment plant, he said, has been out of commission for the last 20 years.
The plant, he said, will be refurbished and when complete will treat 600 cubic metres of wastewater per day.
Singh said work has started on the merging of the drainage division with the water resources agency to create a Water Management and Flood agency.
“Designs have been put in place for 21 dams in the Northern Range to harvest water in order to deal with the run off every rainy season and also to deal with climate change,” Singh also disclosed.
He said $20 m has been allocated to expand the Mamoral Dam.