KINGSTON, Jamaica — Deputy Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams has labelled the resolution brought by Councillor Jesse James Clarke surrounding Kingston and St Andrew’s water quality as an attempt to spread misinformation and panic, and a political distraction on the part of the People’s National Party (PNP).

“We are approaching two quarters without any financial reports on expenses being provided by Mayor Swaby and his administration. Given the many reports of financial misappropriation and the resignation of Councillor Dennis Gordon as chairman of the Finance Committee, it is imperative that the councillors are provided with the expense reports, which for approximately six months have been inaccessible,” Williams said in a Wednesday afternoon statement.

The deputy mayor alleged that Clarke is using data from source testing sites to make pronouncements regarding water along the distribution network.

Williams said despite many attempts from the National Water Commission (NWC) and the Ministry of Health to redirect the ignorance, it has fallen upon deaf ears.

“This is not due to the mayor or the councillor having difficulty with comprehension, but rather a deliberate attempt to obfuscate and mislead for political gain,” Williams alleged.

Williams alleged that the issue had forced Councillor John Myers to walk out of the meeting of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation on Tuesday.

Myers walked out as Clarke moved a resolution recommending that water which does not adhere to the recommended microbiology or chemical standards should not be supplied to any customer due to the significant health risk they would be exposed to.

READ: JLP councillor John Myers walked out of KSAMC meeting
“Protocols and best practices exist for a reason, and the NWC and the health ministry have outlined to the KSAMC at meetings that these are adhered to when a negative result is produced from tests at the source. Contamination levels at the source will differ from those received at distribution points.”

Williams described “the misunderstanding and misinformation of Councillor Clarke” as a “much larger contaminant of the city’s water than any bacteria, virus or parasite.”

He maintained that the resolution was contradictory in its composition, as it sought to have done much of what already exists. The meetings chaired by Clarke, which have representation from the NWC, already make data from water testing public.

“Furthermore, calling for the Bureau of Standards to assume responsibility for testing without outlining his fault with the qualified and professional experts at the Ministry of Health and the NWC represents gross negligence and inappropriate conduct on the part of Councillor Clarke,” he said.

Williams said that while the JLP caucus is in full support of transparency and the best quality of water and service being delivered to all residents of the municipality, it would not support “misinformation” and “attempts to create panic”.