88 Percent of Customers Now Have Electricity

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) is reporting that up to Thursday (August 30), power has been restored to 88 per cent of its customers. The company is also projecting that by the end of on (August 31), August 31, restoration work should be completed in the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew, Portland, St. Mary, St. Catherine and St. Thomas.
“We are working steadily. Up to yesterday evening, we had 88 per cent of our customers back on line,” Corporate Communications Officer at JPSCo, Ruthlyn Johnson told JIS News.
Miss Johnson said that restoration was completed in the parishes of Westmoreland, St. James, Hanover and Trelawny.
“We have also made significant progress in the parishes with extensive damage – St. Elizabeth, Manchester and Clarendon. In fact, on August 27, we had about 46 per cent of St. Elizabeth already completed, and St. Elizabeth is the worst affected parish,” she said.
The company had reported that restoration would be delayed in the southern parishes because of extensive damage to the transmission and distribution system in that region by Hurricane Dean on August 19.
“We are progressing steadily with those, and the projections remain the same where we hope that by the 9th of September we would have completed everywhere. The parishes that are projected for September 9 are Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth,” Miss Johnson said.
The company is also reporting that work is continuing in sections of St. Ann, such as Phoenix Park, Pimento Walk, Mile End, Hermitage, Cedar Valley, Aboukir, Wild Cane, Prickly Pole, Eight Miles and Nine Miles.
Miss Johnson said that some roads or avenues may still be without electricity in communities that have been restored. She is advising the public to report these to the company at 1-888-225-5577. More information on the company’s restoration schedule for various parishes can also be found at www.jpsco.com.In the meantime, the National Water Commission (NWC) is reporting that it is operating at 92 per cent of its normal production capacity.
Information released by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) states that the greater Mandeville water supply is also back on track.
“This system is electricity-dependent and with the restoration of power, water has been restored to the area,” the report said.