Samuda warns of tougher water restrictions in coming weeks amid ongoing drought

Water Minister Matthew Samuda has warned that tougher water restrictions are coming as Jamaica continues to grapple with a crippling drought, signalling an escalation in the Government’s response to the prolonged dry spell.

The Minister gave the dire update during Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

The National Water Commission (NWC) imposed water prohibition orders on August 17, restricting the use of NWC-supplied water for non-essential activities, such as watering lawns, washing vehicles, and refilling pools, across seven parishes.

Other areas across the country, especially in the Corporate Area, have seen staggered water supply as the island’s main collection sources dried up.

Samuda pointed out that there are areas which usually have consistent water supply that now rely on trucked water provided by 18 NWC-owned trucks and 52 privately owned units.

“Now, it is important to note that there will have to be greater enforcement related to our water prohibition notice related to eastern parishes, because every drop is going to indeed count. And there are areas that in the coming week or two, if the rainfall projections and forecasts [from the Meteorological Office] are not incorrect, could see greater restrictions in terms of the hours and the availability of the supply, especially coming off of the line that is supplied by the Hermitage [Dam] and sections that are supplied by the Mona Reservoir. You could see in the next two weeks some communities which get day-on, day-off supply, and that is something that we're putting the nation on guard for,” Samuda warned.

Jamaicans have grumbled that chronic rainfall shortages are met each year with seeming bureaucratic surprise rather than preparation, forcing citizens to endure annual supply cuts.

But the Minister pushed back against those suggestions, noting that the Government has made strides in improving the country’s water infrastructure.

“One of the comments that comes to me, which I understand, comes from a place of frustration when people have disruption in their water supply, is that every year it's the same thing. Ladies and gentlemen, this year is not like any other drought we have experienced. The El Niño conditions that we face are similar to El Niño conditions that in the 1700s and the 1800s both times triggered famine. This is a global weather phenomenon that is affecting us, that is exacerbated by climate change, that has made our, or rather has disrupted our usual weather patterns. So that needs to be understood,” said Samuda.

He argued that if critical infrastructure improvements had not been carried out, the situation would have been worse.

“If we hadn't done the infrastructure work that we have done over the last 10 years, the lockouts and the extreme shortage that you're experiencing now, you'd have experienced in May. Ultimately, in Kingston and St Andrew, demand relative to supply in 2016 was 60 million gallons per day. Now, with all the high-rises and all the new infrastructure that you've seen in Kingston and St Andrew, demand for water today is 50 million gallons a day because we've cut leaks in half.”

According to him, the Government has passed the halfway point in the construction of the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant in St Catherine, which will supply 15 million gallons a day to the Corporate Area.

That facility is earmarked to be operational in May of next year.

- Karen Madden

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