Low rainfall during the dry season has reduced WASA's daily production by just over 25 per cent, according to the authority's acting director of operations Shaira Ali.

Speaking at a press conference at the authority's head office, at Farm Road, St Joseph on Saturday to roll out its dry season water management implementation plan for 2022, Ali said the water source breakdown showed that surface water was at 60 per cent, groundwater at 20 per cent and at the Desal plant at 20 per cent.

'At present water levels at the major impounding reservoirs are near their respective long-term averages. Caroni is currently 95 per cent, Navet is 93 per cent, Hollis is 79 per cent and Hillsborough in Tobago is 83 per cent.

'Other surface water treatment facilities are severely impacted due to low rainfall and reduced river levels resulting in an overall deficit of water production of approximately 26 per cent,' Ali said.

She said facilities such as Caroni, Hollis, Hillsborough, Navet. Caura, North Oropouche, Aripo, Acono, Carlsen Field and others were most impacted.

Acting CEO Sherland Sheppard said WASA is currently working with its lawyers to revise the fines, which currently ranged from $75 to $225, for people caught wasting water and selling water illegally.

Shepard said the authority will focus on three areas - supply management, addressing unaccounted for water which included leak management, and demand management as part of its water supply management plan.

'The plan aims to address water supply improvement, water distribution improvement, asset optimisation asset upgrades alternative methods of providing water, leak management and key stakeholder communications.

To ensure an effective water supply for the dry season, he said, the authority was implementing several mitigation measures in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Utilities.

'These measures include the commencement and completion of several projects funded by the ministry's Community Water Improvement Programme, to improve the level of service to underserved and unserved areas, significantly reducing the risk associated with a harsh dry season.

'We plan to continue to undertake new intakes and treatment systems, new booster stations throughout TT and additional new pipeline projects.'

These projects, which fall under the second phase of the national water improvement programme, were expected to be completed by the end of February and catered for the completion of the rehabilitation wells and installation of a cross-country line from Palm Lane, in Princes Town to Kernaham Trace Extension, Mayaro.

Sheppard said WASA has already completed several projects which included the rehabilitation of wells, pipeline installation, new booster stations, refurbishment of water treatment plants and existing booster stations and new intakes.

The government is working on restructuring WASA, and the Prime Minister last week said an agreement made under a former UNC administration to buy desalinated water until 2034 has bankrupted WA