NWC To Source Water From Rio Cobre And Rehabilitated Wells For KMA

President of the National Water Commission (NWC), Mark Barnett, has announced that the Commission will be sourcing water from the Rio Cobre and rehabilitated wells to address the water issue faced by residents of the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA).

“We are at an advanced stage of adding 15 million gallons of water per day to the network, coming from the Rio Cobre, to help alleviate the water issue of Kingston. We believe that this, in addition to the rehabilitation of 11 to 15 wells, which were abandoned due to high nitrate levels, should provide an additional one third of the flow of ‘new’ water into the city,” Mr. Barnett said.

The President was speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, today (September 12).

He reminded that in 2010 when the country faced a similar drought, the Rio Cobre produced upwards of 40 million gallons of water per day, and studies have deemed it a reliable water source.

“Based on the licensing capacity issued by the Water Resources Authority, we are looking at an additional five to six million gallons of water to be generated from the wells,” Mr. Barnett said.

He noted that this short-term strategy, when compared with the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) projections for urban growth, will allow for water provision up to 2024.

“We have an immediate problem that we believe this strategy can solve and provide comfort to our customers. We ask that our customers continue to bear with us as we improve our service to serve them better,” Mr. Barnett said.