A water desalination plant being built on Trinmar's Point Fortin refinery compound will be completed by January, to the benefit of thousands living on Trinidad's south-western peninsula.

The plant is expected to contribute 1.5 million gallons of water to the national supply at start-up and three times that amount at peak capacity.

The desalination plant, being built by the Tampa, Florida, US-based Seven Seas Water Corporation, was visited yesterday by Public Utilities Minister Emmanuel George and chief executive officer of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) Ganga Singh.

The projected water supply from the plant would improve the supply to La Brea, Guapo, Point Fortin and Siparia, George said.

George, accompanied by officials of the Works and Transport Ministry, also toured a pipe-laying project along the road between La Brea and Point Fortin yesterday.

George was shown the bad state of the road and told of the traffic gridlock caused by the ongoing pipe-laying project. He promised remedial work would begin next week.

George and Ganga also visited the La Fortune Dam in Point Fortin where a water treatment unit was activated to boost the supply to Point Fortin.

He said WASA would begin a campaign, using fliers and loud speakers, to educate the public about the water project.