FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Jamaicans are being urged to take advantage of free, desalinated, potable water now being produced and distributed at Falmouth Pier, courtesy of the Bahamian Government, in the aftermath of Hurrican Melissa.

Consul General for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas assigned to Jamaica, Alveta Knight, explained that reverse osmosis is being used to convert seawater into potable water on the pier, which is then connected to 10 standpipes on the grounds of a nearby church.

“The piping goes down quite a bit into the ocean, and we take that water, we put it through the reverse osmosis plant, and we set up 10 spigots of water in the Church of the Assemblies of God parking lot so people can come at their leisure throughout the day to collect potable water. We are churning out 1,000 gallons an hour so we are inviting everybody. If you have a truck, we can actually connect the truck directly to our system,” Knight explained.

For those sceptical that seawater can be transformed into potable water, her response was simple.

“I would say come and try it before you knock it. Even if you don’t want to try it for drinking, come and try it because you may not have water for bathing, you may not have water for washing…,” the diplomat implored.

“I can confidently say as a Bahamian that this is how we survive on some of our islands because we have to use other means of getting access to fresh water. One of the means we have to use is the saltwater that surrounds the island to produce the fresh water that we need. So, do not knock it until you have tried it. It’s worth the try,” Knight added.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer on the pier Monday, she explained that the gesture is rooted in regional reciprocity.

“When [Hurricane] Dorian hit The Bahamas, first on the ground to assist us was the Jamaican Government through the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), so in times like this we had to do the same [and] just step up to assist our brothers and sisters of the Jamaican island,” she declared.

Dorian slammed into The Bahamas as a massive Category 5 storm on September 1, 2019, causing catastrophic damage on Abaco and Grand Bahama Island.

It stalled over the islands for nearly two days, leading to severe flooding, destroying more than 13,000 homes, leaving tens of thousands homeless and 74 people dead. Damage was estimated at US$3.4 billion.

Meteorologists have tied Dorian with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane in the Florida Keys and Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica on October 28, 2025, as the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricanes by both winds and pressure.

The Melissa relief effort at Falmouth Pier is being coordinated through the Bahamian Government, including minister of state in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for disaster risk management, Leon Lundy, who is also the current chair of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

“This is our second tranche of aid, and this tranche of aid comes through the Royal Bahamas Defence Force via His Majesty’s Bahamas Ship Lawrence Major,” Knight said.

“We came with supplies for the JDF, and then we came with a reverse osmosis system. We came with a field hospital that we lent to the JDF so that they can supply meals to their officers who are stationed at the Trelawny stadium, and we came with a medical supply tent container that is dispatched to an area in Westmoreland to facilitate medical services there,” she added.

But she underscored that the most significant element of the support being provided by her Government is the water project.

Knight encouraged residents to contact Custos of Trelawny Hugh Gentles for trucking arrangements, due to pier access restrictions.

He praised the work the Bahamian team has done.

“It’s amazing. And this is not the only gift they have given to us; they gave us some supplies for the Falmouth hospital as well and they have given us tools and wheelbarrows. They have really been outstanding, and we really appreciate it,” he said.

He urged residents to use the water.

“I have had it and it is very, very drinkable, and we need to make sure that it is known so that the citizens of the parish can come and access it,” Gentles said.

Well known family physician Dr Alverston Bailey, who also visited the site Monday, said the system arrived just in time.

“I just passed by and saw this wonderful engineering that is now being implemented in Falmouth. This is going to be of tremendous assistance to the people because, up to a week ago, they were drinking water from the swamp. I had objected strongly to it since this was highly dangerous,” he said.

Knight said the operation has been running for roughly a week and a half, and the team expects to remain for “about another week, week and a half”, depending on cruise ship schedules.

“This is free. This is accessible. This is plentiful. Please, take advantage of it while it is here,” she reiterated.

Chief Petty Officer Shavargo Green of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force operating the reverse osmosis plant at the Falmouth Pier Monday.

Standpipes at the Church of the Assemblies of God leading from the reverse osmosis plant at the Falmouth Pier.

Consul General for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas assigned to Jamaica Alveta Knight (left), Custos of Trelawny Hugh Gentles (centre) and Desiree Vernon Goburn enjoy a drink of desalinated water on the property of the Church of the Assemblies of God in Falmouth Monday.