KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Several sections of the Corporate Area will experience a disruption in water supply today and tomorrow, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm due to emergency pipeline work being carried out by the National Water Commission (NWC).

This forms part of the NWC’s ongoing Non-Revenue Water Reduction Programme, and involves the installation of valves and meters in sections of downtown Kingston.

Corporate Public Relations Manager at the NWC, Charles Buchanan, said that this project is being carried out with co-management partners, Miya International.

 “We are installing some 2,200 new valves on the network, so you will see us at virtually every intersection all across the Corporate Area. This will enable the system to be used more efficiently and to enable us to serve our customers better,” he said.  

 Buchanan said that currently, 80 of the NWC water supply systems across the country in different parishes have been severely impacted by the dry, hot conditions.

 “In some extreme cases, we have seen an entire source drying up, as is the case of Higgin Town in St Ann where that source has dried up entirely,” he said.

He noted that in other parishes, there have been major decreases in water supplies by as much as between 75 and 80 per cent.

Among the parishes where the water systems have been  severely impacted by drought conditions are Portland, St Mary, St Ann, St Thomas, Clarendon and Kingston and St Andrew.