Some 65,000 NWC customers still without water after islandwide power outage

The Ministry of Water and Environment is reporting that approximately 65,000 customers of the National Water Commission (NWC) remain without water supply following disruptions caused by Friday’s islandwide blackout.

The ministry says this represents 12 per cent of the NWC’s total customer base.

It said assessments conducted today confirm that major treatment plants and pumping stations are back online.

However, full restoration in some communities will be delayed due to electrical outages affecting facilities in Clarendon, St Elizabeth, and St James.

Speaking at a joint press conference this afternoon with Energy Minister Daryl Vaz at the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) headquarters, Water and Environment Minister Matthew Samuda stated that, “while primary production facilities are rebounding quickly, our immediate priority is maintaining backup power systems and mobilising localised maintenance support to safely restart other systems and rebuild critical storage capacity in the lagging parishes.”

The ministry said that, in collaboration with JPS, it is actively working to restore water supply to all affected communities as quickly as possible.

It noted that NWC technical teams are currently on the ground working to bring the impacted pumping systems back online and resume normal operations.

Key Parish Updates

* Kingston & St Andrew (KSA): Major systems operational.

*  St Catherine: Most networks online; Spanish Town Treatment Plant operational. The Old Harbour system is affected by a secondary outage, impacting Old and New Harbour.

*  Manchester: Primary facilities are online, and storage and distribution tanks are actively being replenished. Gradual restoration expected for Ingleside, New Green, Pusey Hill, Warwick re‑lift stations, and Perth Estate storage.

* Clarendon: Persistent outages in Southern Clarendon affecting New Town, Preddie, Kemps Hill, Milk River, and Longville Park.

* St James: Great River restored; Terminal Reservoir and Appleton Hall tanks being replenished. Temporary disruptions in Torado Heights, Rhyne Park, Cornwall Courts, Ironshore, Norwood, and Farm Heights.

*  Trelawny: Martha Brae operational.

*  St Elizabeth: Key systems restored, including Benlomonds, Union, Bogue, Burnt Savannah, Hounslow, Content, and Southampton.

* St Ann: Bogue and Harrison Town networks restored; Minard plant under assessment after electrical trip.

*  Hanover: Maintenance teams servicing the Shettlewood system. 

*  Portland: Grant’s Level system running at 30% output on generator; minor facilities logged for maintenance. 

*  St Mary: Localised impacts in Iterboreale and Annotto Bay. 

*  St Thomas and Westmoreland: Comprehensive field evaluations ongoing; updates pending.

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