MINISTER of Public Utilities Barry Padarath has mandated the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to expand leak detection and repair nationwide aggressively as it intensifies its Leak Management Programme at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate.

A Ministry of Public Utilities release on January 13 said WASA has partnered closely with the Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Corporation (Plipdeco) over the last month to identify and address several long-standing leaks within the estate.

It said joint technical inspections confirmed 15 major leaks, nine of which are affecting high-demand petrochemical, ammonia, methanol, steel, and gas-processing facilities. Some of these leaks, it said, persisted for up to six years, largely due to underground congestion and access challenges. Collectively, these failures resulted in an estimated six million imperial gallons per day (IMGD) in water losses, representing hundreds of millions of dollars in treated water wasted, while communities across Central and South Trinidad endured low pressures and rotation schedules. Five of these major leaks are currently under active repair, with works being strategically sequenced to safely navigate underground hazards, including high-pressure gas pipelines, hydrogen and carbon dioxide manifolds, high-voltage T&TEC circuits, and telecommunications infrastructure.