KINGSTON, Jamaica – Raymond Pryce, the People’s National Party (PNP) standard-bearer in St Catherine East Central is describing the contamination level in the water being consumed in Kingston as a public health issue, and an environmental and community crisis, following a February 2025 KSAMC Water Report.

“The findings— are deeply troubling and demand urgent attention. According to the report, the coliform positivity rate in Kingston’s urban distribution network exceeded acceptable standards, indicating the presence of harmful bacteria in the water being consumed by thousands,” Pryce said

Pesticide, animal waste from livestock operations, herbicide runoff, and soil erosion were cited as the main contributors to the contamination which Pryce described as clear signs of environmental mismanagement.

“The water that flows from our taps should not be a risk to life. Yet, the government and the National Water Commission (NWC) have remained vague and evasive, offering technical language and no real accountability,” he contended.

However, the NWC has strongly rejected the allegations, stating that its water supply is continuously monitored and tested in accordance with Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) guidelines and international standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Pryce questioned, “Where are the clear answers? Where is the public notification? Where is the urgency? What has been the duration of exposure – especially important with respect to our children and the elderly?”

He described the PNP’sJesse James Clarke who previously commented on the issue as ‘brave’.

READ: NWC refutes claims of contaminated water in Kingston and St Andrew

The standard-bearer, citing his experience as an environmental consultant, pointed to the long term effects of water contamination—on public health, on ecosystems, and on national productivity.

Pryce is calling on the government to:

▪︎ Release full, disaggregated water safety data to the public;

▪︎ Outline a comprehensive plan to address contamination at the source, and

▪︎ Engage communities in transparent dialogue.

“Our people deserve clean water. They deserve answers. And they deserve leaders who will speak the truth and speak the truth consistently,” he stressed.