New Water Restriction

As of Wednesday (August 12), the National Water Commission (NWC) will be restricting the supply of water to every two days for customers served by the Mona and Hope systems.

Making the announcement, Acting President of the NWC, Mark Barnett, said the new restriction results from low inflows of water into the two systems.

“For those customers who will receive water on Wednesday, they will no longer receive water on Friday, but on Saturday. This is applicable to those customers served by the Mona and Hope water systems,” Mr. Barnett told a press conference at his New Kingston offices, in St. Andrew, today (August 10).

The NWC acting head noted that customers who receive water from the Constant Spring and Tulloch systems “will not be affected by this regime”, as improved water inflows have occurred on the western side of the Corporate Area.

The communities to be affected by the additional restriction are: August Town, Hope Flat, Papine, Gordon Town, Mona Heights, Mona Road, Beverly Hills, Hope Pastures, Kintyre, Vineyard Town, and sections of Mountain View.

Mr. Barnett pointed out that essential facilities, such as the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), will receive trucked water.

“On the days when the restriction is on, affecting the KPH and other hospitals, we will provide trucked water to address their needs. We cannot over-emphasize the need for customers to conserve the water supply that is available,” he said.

He reported that like previous months of below normal rainfall, the month of June recorded negative results, which have led to the dwindling of inflows into more that 150 of the NWC’s 460 water supply systems islandwide.

Parishes that have been most affected are: Clarendon, St. Thomas, Kingston and St. Andrew.

The NWC is rehabilitating and putting back into operation several of its wells, to boost water supplies in the worst affected areas.