NWC restores most water facilities damaged during recent severe weather events
KINGSTON, Jamaica— The National Water Commission (NWC) says it has restored 208 of 210 facilities that were impacted during the recent passage of Tropical Storm Grace.
NWC President, Mark Barnett, made the announcement during the Commission’s digital quarterly briefing on Thursday.
Barnett advised that the facilities sustained damage amounting to $26 million.
These, he noted, were mainly affected by turbidity and electrical issues resulting from heavy rains and wind associated with Grace, which skirted the island’s coasts.
Barnett said the two facilities that remain out of operation are the Aviary sewage treatment plant in Old Harbour, St Catherine, which requires repairs totalling $18 million, and the pipeline in Yallahs, St Thomas, which sustained damage amounting to $2 million.
“The Yallahs pipeline is a very vulnerable infrastructure, and any incident of prolonged rainfall usually creates a very high risk for the NWC,” he disclosed.
Barnett said, however, that only 60 facilities were damaged during the passage of Tropical Depression Ida, 50 of which have been restored.
He added that no significant damage was sustained by facilities in Hanover, Westmoreland, Manchester, St Elizabeth, St James, and Trelawny.