Residents of Mt Hope experienced severe water service disruptions throughout the Christmas holiday period, highlighting systemic failures in the Water and Sewerage Authority’s (WASA) customer service and communication protocols. The crisis began precisely at 6:00 AM on Christmas morning when water supply was completely terminated without prior notification to paying customers.
Service restoration proved inconsistent and inadequate, with water returning briefly around 2:00 PM on Boxing Day only to be disconnected again at approximately 6:00 PM after merely trickling for most of the four-hour window. The pattern continued on December 27th with minimal water flow from 6:00 AM until 11:00 AM. As of 12:15 PM on December 28th, residents remained without reliable water service despite their status as paying customers.
The utility’s information systems failed completely during the crisis. WASA’s official website showed no service interruption notices for the affected area, while customer service representatives answering the 800-LEAK helpline could provide no explanation for the service failure or estimated restoration timelines.
The authority’s Corporate Communications Department, currently under Kristy Ramnarine-Bakr’s leadership, faced sharp criticism for its apparent absence during the holiday emergency. The situation has raised serious questions about WASA’s management approach toward its customers, with residents reporting feeling ‘treated like scum’ by the organization’s leadership.
Writer Linus F Didier, in a public letter to the editor, specifically called upon WASA Chairman Roshan Babwah, Acting CEO Dain Maharaj, and Acting Director of Customer Care Ellen Lewis to emulate the TT Electricity Commission’s (T&TEC) customer service standards and operational protocols. The comparison underscores growing public frustration with WASA’s service delivery model and its apparent disregard for customer communication during utility emergencies.