PROLONGED drought conditions in sections of Jamaica since the start of 2009 have left persons in many parishes wondering if they will ever receive regular supplies in the land of wood and water.

The problem has been most chronic in the parishes of Kingston & St Andrew, which have been plagued with perennial water shortages.

Early last year, weather forecasters warned the island would not be getting any rainfall in significant quantities until April 2010.

Rainfall levels last year were way below average, the traditional rainy season between September and November accounting for very little water entering the island’s rivers and underground aquifers.

This led to the imposition of water restrictions by the National Water Commission (NWC) in areas served by the Mona Reservoir and the Hermitage Dam, the island’s two largest raw water storage facilities located in the capital city.

The Mona Reservoir has a storage capacity of 809 million gallons, and Hermitage Dam 393 million.

Both facilities are unable to meet the water demands of the population they were designed to serve.

The Mona Reservoir, the younger of both facilities, has been in service since 1957 when Kingston’s population was approximately 130,000 persons.

Data obtained from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) indicate the population of Kingston & St Andrew was 666,182 in 2008.

Heavy rains, which caused flooding in sections of the island two weeks ago did little to boost levels at both facilities which stood at 44 per cent and 66 per cent of capacity, respectively.

The NWC, which eased water restrictions in affected areas for the Christmas weekend, says the rains brought a meagre four per cent increase in storage levels.

NWCs Corporate Public Relations Manager Charles Buchanan acknowledged that the drought conditions affecting customers served by its Mona and Hope systems is the worst the company has experienced in years.

“We have never had to lock off water supply service to the Mona system because of drought conditions any time this time of year for more than 20 years,” an obviously concerned Buchanan said.

According to Buchanan, drought in other parts of the island was usually something customers in the areas served by Mona heard of, but experienced no disruptions, at least not until now.

“For them, it was really somewhat of a shock, and in some cases residents and institutions were unprepared for restrictions like this,” said Buchanan. “In many cases they had no tanks, no means of storage, and had not adjusted to the idea that you may have to use the water when you get it and not at your normal convenience of a tap.”

Buchanan said following the construction and subsequent commissioning of the Yallahs pipeline in the 1986, persons served by the Mona system had been able to withstand drought conditions.

The pipeline, which brings water from the Yallahs and Negro rivers in St Thomas to supplement the Hope River, the sole supplier of water to the Mona reservoir at that time, can provide a maximum of 21 million gallons daily.

The prevailing drought conditions have reduced its daily inflow to a mere eight million gallons.

Rainfall during the weekend of December 20 saw an increase of 15 million gallons flowing from the Hope River into the Mona reservoir. However, this was short-lived as only a mere four million gallons trickled into the storage facility a day later.

Buchanan, though, maintains that despite low inflow levels, the Yallahs water supply system remains the mainstay for keeping storage levels up at Mona.

“We have been receiving virtually nothing from the Hope River, the other source of water for Mona, over recent months,” said Buchanan ruefully.

“Normally, the Hope River provides us with water for both the Hope filter plant where we treat six million gallons of water per day as well as water for the Mona reservoir itself. For many weeks, we were getting three or four million gallons per day which was not enough for that plant,” he said.

Water restrictions imposed by the NWC on customers served by its Mona and Hermitage facilities have not gone down well with some persons, many of whom now receive water eight hours each day.

A resident of Bougainvilla Avenue in Mona, who requested anonymity, said the water lock-offs are the worst she has experienced in 20 years. Unlike some persons who receive water less than six hours each day, her water problems are usually at night.

“I am kind of coping,” she told the Sunday Observer. “I know when it goes off and I know when it comes on, so we’re not doing too badly. It goes off like about 10 o’clock at nights for me, so we catch water and do what we have to do before it goes off.”

However, other residents are not so fortunate.

“I’ve never seen it this bad where there’s water for only two hours in the morning and, if you’re lucky, another two hours in the evening,” said a female resident of Hope Pastures, who also requested anonymity. “I’m forced to start washing my clothes by 5:30 most mornings when water returns, otherwise, it means washing as soon as I get in from work before the water goes at 8:00 pm.”

The NWC’s Buchanan said the Government is introducing several initiatives to alleviate the water problem, not just in the Corporate Area, but in several sections of the island.

These include the black tank programme, which involves the provision of at least 500 water storage tanks to householders in drought-stricken areas. The 200-gallon tanks are being sold to the public for approximately $5,000 and will not attract GCT.

Also, as part of its drought response programme, the NWC will be reviving five wells in the Corporate Area by March this year, providing an additional 4-5 million gallons of water.

According to Buchanan, several wells which were operational years ago were removed from service due to underground water pollution, and vandalism of equipment at some locations. However, the demand for additional water sources had led to some being restored.

“We’ve been able to put back into operation the Beverly Hills well,” he said. “We’re looking at putting back wells in the Mountain View area, as well as those in Rennock Lodge, Devon House, King’s House and Havendale.”

Additionally, as part of the Kingston Metropolitan Area water supply project, the NWC is to spend US$85 million on improving water supplies in greater Spanish Town, Portmore, as well as the Corporate Area.

It involves the rehabilitation of several wells, reservoirs, pumping stations, replacement of old pipelines, as well as upgrading the Spanish Town water treatment plant which, on completion, will provide an additional 27 million gallons of water.

Asked about long-term plans for larger storage facilities, Buchanan said the Ministry of Water recently revisited a 30-year proposal to construct a dam in Mahogany Vale located in the Blue Mountain range.

The proposal, should it materialise, would also incorporate a hydro-electric station to provide electricity to the national grid.