Introduction

The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) faces considerable challenges each year as

it seeks to extend and maintain a 24 hours per day, 7 days per week (24/7) supply to all

customers of Trinidad and Tobago. The main challenges faced in providing this 24/7

service is limited water resources and the increasing population in Trinidad and Tobago

(new customers).

Of particular significance is the high levels of Unaccounted for Water (UFW) in many of

the Water Supply Zones (WSZs) in Trinidad and Tobago.

Study Area- North Oropouche Supply Zone (Sangre Grande Offtake)

The North Oropouche Supply Zone is supplied primary by the North Oropouche Water

Treatment which was constructed in 1979.The North Oropouche Water Treatment Plant

provides approximately 20 million (UK) gallons of water per day (imgd) to the zone.

However this supply is augmented by a supply from the Turure Wells, (Turure Well No.1,

Turure Well No.2 and Turure Well No.3) which is augmented by a supply from the Sangre

Wells. The Turure Wells provide approximately 198 cubic meter of water per hour (m 3/hr)

to North Oropouche Supply Zone, resulting in a total supply of 21.05 imgd to the North

Oropouche Supply Zone.

In this study, the Sangre Grande Offtake, which is the first offtake off the 1050 mm

diameter transmission pipeline leaving the North Oropouche Water Treatment Plant was

chosen as the study area (see Figure1). The Sangre Grande Offtake was chosen as the

study area because it is the first of six (6) major offtakes off the North Oropouche

transmission system. The Sangre Grande Offtake Supply Zone consist mostly of

domestic customers, with some commercial, institutional and agricultural customers.

The North Oropouche Water Treatment Plant provided approximately 20 million (UK)

gallons of water per day (imgd) to the North Oropouche Supply Zone which is augmented

by a supply from the Sangre Wells. The Sangre Wells namely Sangre Well No.1, Sanger

Grande Well No.2 and Sangre Well No.3 which provides a total of 3 million (UK) gallons

of water per day to the Zone, resulting in total supply of 23 million (UK) gallons of water

per day