THE National Water Commission (NWC) says it has been finding it difficult to meet the demand for water in some sections of the island, because of the drought.

Charles Buchanan, the NWC’s public relations manager, said Wednesday’s heavy rains in some sections of the island have assisted some of its small systems.

“We are thankful for the rains yesterday (Wednesday). but unless we have sustained rainfall in areas like Clarendon that has not had rains for several months we are not out of the woods yet.” Buchanan told the Observer yesterday.

The NWC has more than 400 surface and underground water sources islandwide, but said that many of its small spring and small river sources had dwindled or dried up entirely.

Among the worst affected areas have been Clarendon, St Thomas, sections of St Elizabeth and rural St Andrew, according to Buchanan. Clarendon, he said, has been the worst affected area.

The NWC said that although water should be trucked to the seven affected areas in Clarendon once or twice weekly, the commission was able to supply Lodge, Mount Providence, Birds Hill Pennants and Mitchell Town only once every two weeks, while residents of Bois Content got trucked water two times per month. Rose Hall, the other Clarendon community hit hard by the drought, has been getting supplies once monthly instead of once a week, the NWC said.

In East Rural St Andrew, residents served by water sources at Violet Bank, Green River, Stafford Hall, Orchard Spring, Pulpa Spring and Craig Hill have received trucked water once per week. Water has also been trucked once weekly to residents of West Rural St Andrew who were normally served by the Isaac Hole and King Weston springs and the Bucky Plain river.

Buchanan said that water was being trucked to the St Thomas communities of Dumphries, Pamphret and Botany Bay on Mondays; White Horses, Georgia, Font Hill and Buckingham on Tuesdays.; Wilmington and Airy Castle received water on Wednesdays. Dumphries and Needham Pen got supplies on Thursdays, and on Fridays White Horses and Botany Bay residents received trucked water.

NWC water systems at Niagra/ Elderslie, Little Park, Parotee, Newell, Park Lee, Santa Cruz/South Hampton and New Forrest in St Elizabeth were also being affected by the drought, the NWC said.

Meanwhile, the NWC has since Monday been carrying out nightly restrictions for customers in the Corporate Area who are served by the Hermitage/Constant Spring system. These residents are either without water of have low water pressure between 10:00 pm and 4:00 am.