LUCEA, Hanover — The National Water Commission (NWC) has been harshly criticised by members of the Hanover Municipal Corporation for its management of the scarce domestic supply of the commodity in some areas of the parish.

Among the concerns is the lack of water in the Blenheim area which results in an anticipated annual protest from residents. The protest is normally held on February 24 to coincide with a civic ceremony to commemorate the birth of national hero and first Prime Minister of Jamaica Sir Alexander Bustamante, who was born in the area.

The other concern has to do with the NWC adding Chambers Pen community to the already-stressed Kew pumping station, which is struggling to serve pre-existing communities in the area.

Chambers Pen forms part of the Government’s plan to develop the district into the first model community under its roughly $700-million Rural Development Programme in five parishes. The project was announced in 2021 and work commenced shortly after. Desmond McKenzie, the local government minister, is expected to visit the area this Thursday.

During last Thursday’s monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) Sheridan Samuels, mayor of Lucea and chairman of the HMC, expressed concern about the performance of the Kew pumping station. It pumps water from the Great River Treatment Plant up a hill to Clifton, where it is then gravity fed to areas such as Blenheim and the newly added Chambers Pen community.

“Chambers Pen is getting water from the same source that the other areas are getting water from. So why add Chambers Pen now when you have not solved the problem at Central Flats, Dias, Middlesex, Blenheim, and Cacoon? Those problems have not been solved as yet, but yet you are going to put Chambers Pen on the line,” an unhappy Samuels (People’s National Party, Cauldwell Division) pointed out.

He believes the NWC is only wasting money as the areas currently without water will be in further trouble as these communities are on a higher elevation in comparison to the newly added Chambers Pen community. He also noted that Chambers Pen already has supply from a minor system operated by the HMC, but yet the NWC is putting in place a new system when it is unable to fulfil its obligations to other communities that depend on the same NWC feed.

“The quality of the water is going to be actually the same. The volume of water is actually going to be the same. The only difference is that they are going to get a bigger name, NWC, attached to it now instead of our minor water supply that is already there,” the mayor said.

However, NWC water production manager for Hanover and Westmoreland Nicholas Campbell sought to reassure the meeting that there is no cause for concern.

“It is not a problem. What we have found is that the way water comes to Lucea… because we are not on the 24 hours of pumping from the Great River treatment plant, the Kew pump is not being operated consistently enough to provide consistent supply at Clifton pumping station to keep water in that area,” he said.

As a means of addressing the issue, Campbell said the decision has been taken to increase the pumping cycle at the Kew pumping station to be able to fill the Clifton tank at a faster rate so that water can be sustained in the area.

He also outlined the plan to ensure that Blenheim has water during the upcoming festivities.

“We also understand that on the 24th there is a celebration for Bustamante. We will be trucking water through the entire area. We are planning for the 17th, 20th, and 21st of this month for this area,” explained Campbell.

He said the NWC has only one truck serving the parishes of Hanover and Westmoreland and this has an impact on the schedule.

“I was contacted earlier, so what we are trying to do now is to rearrange the schedule to free up those days so that we can attend to this area,” Campbell said.

None of this was enough to appease minority leader Councillor Devon Brown (Jamaica Labour Party, Hopewell Division).

“Every year the water commission waits until the 24th of February to let the residents have water. After the 24th, Mr Chairman, we will be back to square one again. That’s what NWC always does,” he argued.

The NWC’s Campbell did not respond.

In previous years, Dias and Blenheim would get water from a fairly good small system called Water Cress. However, that system was operated by a diesel pump which has become financially infeasible, while the cost associated with getting electricity into the area is exorbitant.

All of this is being exacerbated by an ongoing drought. According to Campbell, the supply of water from two of its systems in the eastern and western ends of the parish are affected.

“Drought conditions are mainly affecting Logwood treatment plant and New Milns treatment pumping station in this parish. We have seen where the productions of both facilities have been reduced by 20 per cent for Logwood and New Milns 25 per cent. This has resulted in no or low flow to most elevated sections served by these pumping stations,” he noted.

Communities that are being affected are Haughton Court, Kingsvale, Pell River, Welcome, New Milns and its environment.