Letter of the Day | Jamaica’s water crisis: 64 years on, still no fix

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Every summer, Jamaicans brace for water restrictions. This year is no different. The National Water Commission (NWC) has announced scheduled supply for communities served by the Mona and Hermitage dams, with Kingston and St Andrew residents receiving water only between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. Portmore, in St Catherine, is also affected, with trucked water supplementing shortages. But, what about communities nowhere near “town”? In parishes like St Elizabeth, St Ann, St Mary, and Manchester, river flows have fallen sharply, leaving rural households without reliable alternatives.

Where is this trucked water coming from? Overseas? Whether private or NWC-supplied, why can’t it be delivered through our pipes? We graduate engineers every year, yet our water systems remain outdated. How many houses and commercial structures have been built without corresponding upgrades to the facilities that should supply piped water? Are we educating engineers only to ship them abroad while our own infrastructure stagnates?

This is not a new concern, and this type of conversation and letter is not new, either. Jamaicans have been raising the alarm for decades, yet we continue to repeat the same cycle of restrictions and trucked-water distribution. Minister Matthew Samuda has spoken about prohibition orders against water wastage, but conservation alone cannot solve a systemic problem. The Water Resources Authority has already warned that declining river flows are placing even greater pressure on supplies.

The implications go beyond inconvenience. Jamaica is encouraging population growth, but more babies will eventually mean more homes and a greater demand for water. If we cannot secure reliable water now, how will we sustain a larger population in the future? Are we really the “land of wood and water” if every dry season leaves us parched and scrambling?

After 64 years of Independence, Jamaica should be able to deliver a lasting solution. Other countries facing drought have implemented large-scale measures such as rainwater harvesting, desalination, and upgraded reservoirs. Why can’t Jamaica? This is a call for accountability. Our leaders must prioritise water infrastructure as a matter of national security and public health. Without decisive action, Jamaicans will continue to suffer through dry seasons, wondering why basic needs remain unmet in a country that should know better by now.

CANDICE K. STEWART

candicekstewart@gmail.com