ST JAMES, Jamaica — Mayor of Montego Bay, Richard Vernon, says residents of Catherine Hall and West Green are expected to have water restored to their taps by Monday, following confirmation from the National Water Commission (NWC).

“The National Water Commission (NWC) has confirmed that water will be restored to the affected communities of Catherine Hall and West Green by this coming Monday. The delay was due to extensive infrastructure damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, which required significant repairs and technical intervention,” Vernon told Observer Online on Saturday.

His update comes as residents express growing frustration over what they describe as a slow response in restoring water to the community, more than a week after Hurricane Melissa struck. Many fear that the prolonged outage could pose potential health risks.

“It’s rough, especially without electricity and water to clean up, because we don’t have any water. More while we have to go round the river to catch water and drag it back and forth,” said Shelly, a resident of the community, as she sorted through a barrel of clothing. “Right now a the river me a go, go see if me can shake out some of them here,” she added.

READ: West Green residents decry slow water restoration after Hurricane Melissa

Vernon said St James Public Health Services has already begun public education initiatives and increased monitoring in critically affected areas to reduce health risks associated with the disruption.

“We understand the frustration felt by residents in Catherine Hall, West Green and across St James, and I want to thank them for their patience and resilience during this challenging period. Our teams remain committed to ensuring safe, reliable access to potable water, whether supplied by our minor water supply systems or NWC and will continue to monitor public health risks in collaboration with the St James Public Health Services, which has already commenced public education and increased monitoring in the critically affected areas,” he said.