KINGSTON, Jamaica— The National Water Commission (NWC) says the supply of water to several communities in the Corporate Area should improve with the new Ferry 600-millimetre diameter pipeline.

The new pipeline replaces the previous 18-inch diameter pipeline, popularly known as the Ferry 18-inch.

NWC said it serves communities along Washington Boulevard up to Dunrobin Avenue, where it interconnects with the recently commissioned 700-millimetre diameter transmission main that was laid along Constant Spring Road.

Among the communities to be positively impacted are Washington Gardens, areas along Molynes Road, Upper Waltham, Seaward Drive and Olympic Way.

President of the NWC Mark Barnett, having recently toured the area, said he understood and sympathised with those who had little of the precious commodity, especially during the 2018 yuletide season. He stressed that it was not something the NWC was comfortable with, although measures were put in place to reduce the impact on the affected communities.

Barnett further emphasised the importance of the new pipeline, which is not only part of the NWC’s comprehensive plans for efficient distribution of the commodity, but also part of broader efforts to build resiliency and reliability within the network.

“What it does in a time of drought or extended dry period, we use the water from the White Marl/Tulloch Spring Systems to augment what we would have been producing from Constant Spring and Mona facilities. Where there are shortfalls in those systems as it is now, the new Ferry system will help to reduce the impact of those shortfalls”.  

A section of the pipeline that was previously constructed along Washington Boulevard has also been activated. It is envisioned that this will reduce the frequency of breakages thus improving service delivery, added NWC.

Additionally, the simultaneously constructed replacement 900-millimeter diameter pipeline has also been activated to serve downtown Kingston, the commission said. This transmission main serves residential and commercial customers alike between Six Miles via Three Miles and Marcus Garvey Drive to the downtown business district.

 “We have been able to weather the proverbial storm. Our customers rightly demand the best service, the NWC is mindful of that, I am very mindful of that, and so these achievements are geared towards satisfying the demands of the people we serve,” Barnett declared.