THE National Water Commission (NWC) is reporting that reduced river inflows have been severely impacting operations at a number of its facilities, including the Bogue Water Supply System in St Ann which provides water to sections of St Ann and St Mary.

The NWC said the system has seen a 2.3-million gallon per day reduction in inflows, which has resulted in intermittent supply or instances of no water in sections of these parishes.

To supply both parishes, the NWC said it requires inflows of 10 million gallons per day.

NWC vice -president, divisional operations, eastern division, Michael Dunn, said the current drought conditions being experienced have resulted in reduced inflows from a number of river sources, which affected supply levels at major facilities across the division.

He explained that necessary water management measures have been implemented to curtail as much as possible disruptions in service to residents. A few of these measures, he explained, include the building of storage levels for distribution and supplying water through valve regulations.

The areas that are affected include: sections of Ocho Rios, Content Gardens, Exchange, Bonham Spring, St Ann’s Bay, Windsor Heights, Mammee Bay, Steer Town, Top Road, Vista Del Mar, sections of Buckfield, Gully Road, Valley Bush, Mango Valley, Huddersfield, Pampano Bay, Port Maria, Trinity, Hamilton Mountain, White River, and Galina.

The affected areas are currently being supplied by trucked water and through regulation.

Dunn added that similar water management measures being employed in the Kingston and St Andrew Metropolis will be undertaken in affected areas. He said network valve regulations are being carried out to supply a number of these areas.

This, he said, will result in a more than usual number of leaks occurring on the distribution network due to the opening and closing of valves and pressure build ups.

St Ann and St Mary residents are being asked to assist NWC by reporting all leaks for them to be addressed urgently.