PAC chairman Audley Shaw asks a question during last week's sitting of the committee.

The National Water Commission (NWC) is only able to measure 27 per cent of its water production, which makes it unable to assess, scientifically, the amount of water that is leaked or unaccounted for, according to NWC president, E G Hunter.

Hunter, responding to a question from Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Audley Shaw at Tuesday's meeting of the committee at Gordon House, said that the whole basis of checking unaccounted-for water started with measurement.

"You must be able to measure your production, that's the first thing. You then measure what you deliver to your customers. You subtract the two and it gives you a residual. (But) when you examine that residual, you have to make allowances for water used at hydrants and in public places (unaccounted-for water).

National Water Commission president, E G Hunter, speaks during last Tuesday's sitting of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee. Beside him is Genefa Hibbert. (Photos: Joseph Wellingston)

"When we say unaccounted-for, it doesn't mean that we don't know where it is, and so we have changed the terminology. We don't use the words unaccounted-for water anymore, because that suggests slackness, we call it non-revenue water, because this is water used by, say, hydrants and public places (standpipes) which we don't charge anyone for."
Shaw: "What's the breakdown? What is revenue, what's non-revenue and what is unaccounted-for water?"
Hunter: "Our best estimate, 27 per cent of our production facilities are metered."

Shaw: "Revenue?"
Hunter: "No, I am talking about metered at source, what do we produce and how much do we produce. You have to start there, how much am I producing? Now, for one to speak intelligently about unaccounted-for water, you must be able to have a good handle on what you produce.

"You need to be measuring at least 85 per cent of your production. Right now we are measuring about 27 per cent. (But) we are doing the KMA Rehabilitation Project, which is being funded by the Government of Jamaica and the Government of Japan. That project will buy production meters for all the production facilities in South-East St Catherine and Spanish Town. That project is ongoing. We have another project with the IDB, which is going to the loan committee at the end of this month, and that will address the situation in Kingston. So, when the IDB project and the KMA project are completed, we will be measuring about 60-70 per cent of our production."

Shaw: "Are you saying that you don't have a figure now?"
Hunter: "I don't have a figure, Mr Chairman, and I am not going to commit to..."
Shaw: "We have heard figures of 65 per cent to 70 per cent.

Hunter: "That's anecdotal, Mr Chairman, because the point I am making is that unless you measure what you produce, you can't speak intelligently about unaccounted-for water. Now, if you ask me what is my gut feeling, what my experience tells me, we think that about 40 per cent is what we actually sell. About 30 per cent goes in leaks and the other 30 per cent goes in what we call unsanctioned use plus water used at hydrants, standpipes, illegal connections and so on."
Shaw: "But, Mr Hunter, I believe that your assessment of 30 per cent leakage is an extremely optimistic assessment."
Hunter: "Why do you say that, Mr chairman?"

Shaw: "I think that it is much higher than that..."
Hunter: "I have heard numbers of 70 per cent lost to leaks. We estimate our production at about 180 million gallons a day. If 70 per cent goes in leaks, that would be 17 gallons per person per day (at 2.6 million people) but 17 gallons per day is much too low. It's close to about 40 to 45 gallons per day."

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