MANCHESTER, Jamaica – Five Manchester residents were recently found guilty of illegal usage of water and trespassing on the works of the National Water Commission (NWC).

NWC said in a release Tuesday that the five people were arrested and charged during a revenue recovery drive that was carried out by the Receivables Department in collaboration with the police in the parish earlier this year.

In handing down the judgement, the Mandeville Resident Magistrate’s Court ordered the five convicts to each pay a fine or face imprisonment, and all opted to pay the fine.

The court ruling, according to the release, reinforces the NWC’s drive to clamp down on water theft and send a strong message to people who are hell-bent on stealing the commodity, which costs the NWC millions of dollars to harness, treat and distribute across Jamaica’s hilly terrain.

Fined for trespassing on the works of the NWC are:

•  Andre Whyte of Three Chains and Heather Green of Love Lane District in Mandeville, who were both fined J$40,000 or the penalty of facing one month’s imprisonment;

• Trevor Robinson of Daily’s Grove, who was fined J$30,000 or three months imprisonment;

• Peter Williams of Caledonia Meadows, who was ordered to pay J$45,000 or face three months imprisonment; and

• Christopher Haynes of Caledonia Meadows, who was ordered to pay J$50,000 or face three months imprisonment.

In underscoring the importance of operations to reduce water theft, Vice President of Customer Service Delivery at the NWC, Michael Dunn outlined that “the NWC is facing strong resistance, and that despite public education and various soft approaches employed over the years, some persons are demonstrating an unswerving resolve to steal water at all costs”.

This level of delinquency he maintained, has forced the company to become more persistent in its approach in order to ensure people pay for the service so that the company can continue system improvements and increase access to water.