NWC Restores More than 100 Water Systems

The National Water Commission (NWC) has restored more than 100 water supply systems islandwide and is working assiduously to bring even more back in operation in the shortest possible time, Corporate Public Relations Manager of the Commission, Charles Buchanan, has said.
In an interview with JIS News, Mr. Buchanan noted that the NWC “normally operates some 400 water supply systems across the island”.
These water supply systems have a number of pumping stations attached, so the Commission has a total of over 1,000 installations, pumping stations, and relay stations that require electricity, he added.
Mr. Buchanan noted too, that although the number of functional water supply systems was a small fraction of the total amount islandwide, the number of persons who were now receiving piped water, represented a significant proportion of the population.
“This may even be better in terms of the service level, as the main focus of the National Water Commission’s restoration efforts has been to make sure that our largest systems that serve our largest population centres are back in operation, even with the use of stand-by generators or other means. Based on the priority listings that we have asked the JPSCo to give particular focus to, the majority of these systems that we have listed in the 100 back in operation, are our largest, most critical facilities,” he told JIS News.
Mr. Buchanan advised too, that even when a system had been restored, it might take some time for it to be fully charged, and so customers might receive low water pressure, intermittent supply and in some instances, discoloured water. “Based on the spread of the systems and the fact that they are just coming back into full operation, the lines on the systems are taking some time to be fully charged for water to fill up all of the pipe network, so it will obviously flow by gravity to those persons at lower elevations and those persons nearest will get first,” he said.
Additionally, in some areas, customers at higher elevations might not yet be receiving piped water, although other areas served by the same source might be receiving a piped supply.
“In many instances, the source for your water may be a particular treatment plant. However, because of the elevation at which you are, your water may have to go to a second pumping station before it gets to you. In some instances where we have the treatment plant up and running with power, but the pumping station, which is required to get the water from that treatment plant to you, is not yet up and running, it would mean that the water would not get to you although it is elsewhere on the system,” Mr. Buchanan explained.
Customers receiving piped water are reminded to treat or boil all drinking water until full normalcy is restored.