The Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) is moving ahead with a project to rehabilitate and upgrade the Theobalds Water Treatment Plant, which is currently operating at about 40 per cent efficiency.
The plant forms part of the Theobalds Water Supply System, which provides potable water to more than 40 000 residential and commercial customers from Millet to Cap Estate.
WASCO previously indicated that the plant, constructed in 1993 and expanded in 2007, requires rehabilitation after corrosion of some of its components affected its output. The upgrades are intended to restore the plant to its original design capacity of 10.8 million gallons per day.
Head of WASCO’s Project Management Unit, Maurice Norville, provided an update on the project at a press conference on Wednesday.
He said WASCO is selecting a contractor after receiving six proposals from firms around the region.
“We’re currently going through the final stages of the evaluation process,” said Norville.
Once the procurement process is completed, WASCO aims to begin the project in November, with completion targeted for December 2027.
Norville said the upgraded facility should allow WASCO to make better use of available water, particularly as fluctuations in rainfall are expected to continue.
“Once this project is completed, what we will expect to see is an increase in the production based on water availability.”
The project is being funded by the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) at a cost of approximately EC$13.2 million.
It is also expected to improve the plant’s operating efficiency and reduce its carbon dioxide emissions through the installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system and more energy-efficient automated pumps.
