The Water and Sewerage Authority's acting CEO Kelvin Romain says it has short, medium and long-term plans address water shortages being experienced by communities in the country.

He attributed the shortages to climate change and decreased rainfall.

The authority issued a media release on Saturday which advised customers in North East Trinidad served by the Hollis Water Treatment Plant that temporary water amended water-supply schedules were implemented in areas served by the plant.

The release also said it had become necessary, in order to prudently manage operations at the reservoir, which currently stood at 43 per cent capacity while the long-term average was usually 74 per cent.

The plant would normally produce 8.4 million gallons of water per day but it was presently producing 5.7 million gallons.

'In view of steadily increasing deficits in rainfall at the Hollis catchment, the authority has instituted management protocols for the Hollis Reservoir, which includes the implementation of temporary amended water supply schedules,' it said.

This also comes after protests were held by Cedros residents at the Granville Water Treatment Plant on Saturday.

At a press conference at Hollis Reservoir, Valencia on Sunday, Romain said climate change is global, affects everyone and TT was not immune to it.

Romain said, reservoir's levels were low.

'At this point in time, it is 43 per cent. What is expected, our long-term average, is 73 per cent. As a result of these low levels we have to do some resource management and curtailment, unfortunately. But that is so we can preserve what we have.'

That plant produces 8.4 million gallons but was now only producing 5.5 million gallons which left the authority with a deficit of 2.9 million gallons, he said.

' To put it into perspective, every million gallon is about 2,500 households it can affect. So we have to develop strategies to deal with that shortfall,' Romain said.

He said in the short-term the authority was tightening its system, was constantly on a leak drive and recently installed bulk meters where it manages its systems.

It was also taking a pro-active approach to truck borne water supply where it was blitzing hard-hit areas to provide a truck-borne supply of water.

The customers served with the Hollis supply were 'ring fenced' and sent text messages about amended schedules.

Romain also said early this week, there would be bulletins on the authority's website specific to hard-hit areas.

The authority had also started mobilising to being drilling three wells which would add additional supply to the system and create 'resilience and sustainability by interconnecting some of its transmission systems,' he said.

Romain said the authority empathised with its customers and understood that water was life.

'Even when the schedules go off people protest. And we have short, medium and long-term strategies. I could assure the population, we are implementing and we are not just talking.'

Romain said the authority knew the hard-hit areas and they