Work in Progress to Restore Electricity to NWC Pump at Roaring River

The Ministry of Energy, Telecommunications and Transport and the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) are collaborating to restore electricity to the Roaring River National Water Commission (NWC) pump in Westmoreland.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Daryl Vaz, said this is urgent, “because restoring electricity to that pump will restore water to large parts of Westmoreland”.

Westmoreland was one of several parishes in the west that were devastated by Hurricane Melissa on October 28 last year.

“What is amazing is the precise coordination that is taking place to make sure that light brings water, which is very important,” the Minister said, during a tour of sections of Westmoreland, including Petersfield and Whitehouse, on January 8.

“In this situation here, in order to get to the Roaring River pump, the NWC pump that covers the majority of Westmoreland with water, you would have had to run over 300 poles, spanning 15 miles, in order to get or to be able to power Roaring River. And what does that mean? It means that the majority of Westmoreland will get back water, including Darliston, which currently has no water,” he continued.

Mr. Vaz said that without current resources and the planned intervention, energising the Roaring River NWC pump could have been delayed until late 2026.

“Within another week, both Darliston and other communities will have not only light but water, and they both go hand in hand,” the Minister added.

Meanwhile, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JPS, Hugh Grant, outlined the work ahead, calling it a complex “last mile” effort requiring the installation and rebuilding of more than 300 utility poles and roughly 15 miles of transmission and distribution lines, noting that some segments will involve drilling through rock to reach the pump.

Mr. Grant emphasised the operation’s difficulty but said it is essential to ensure a stable power supply to the Roaring River pump and, by extension, the communities that depend on it.

He said the project remains on a tight timeline (January 15), noting that the team aims to complete all necessary infrastructure work as quickly as possible, and that resources are in place, “planning is robust” and partnerships with government services and local stakeholders are aligned to meet the deadline.

Mr. Grant emphasised that the immediate objective is to energise the Roaring River pump so water can be restored to eligible areas, adding that without intervention, water shortages could persist, with cascading effects on public health and daily life across Westmoreland.

In the meantime, Minister Vaz said that many parts of the Roaring River service area are not yet ready to receive electricity for new customers and that as a result, JPS will not immediately gain new connections from this work, even as the pump comes back online.

The priority, he said, remains reliable water restoration through the Roaring River NWC pump with electricity enabling continued water security.