It seems reasonable that at some point up ahead there should be thorough review at the national level regarding the recovery process following Hurricane Melissa’s devastating passage in late October.

Even at this relatively early stage of the recovery, four months after the monstrous Category 5 storm wrecked much of western Jamaica, we think it’s safe to say that much has gone well. There have also been mistakes — some entirely preventable — from which we must learn.

Poor or inadequate communication between utility agencies — both public and private sector — and their customers has been an area of particular concern to us. We are reminded of this by the article headlined ‘Bills rising, but taps still dry…’ in the Thursday edition of this newspaper.

Our reporter tells us that members of Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) quizzed National Water Commission (NWC) representatives on Wednesday regarding an issue that is by no means new, though it is now many times worse post-Melissa. In short, why are people who are without NWC water in their pipes getting billed and, in some cases, for increasing amounts from one month to the next?

Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Mr Wavell Hinds, who represents Clarendon Northern, told of constituents “complaining agonisingly about receiving bills consistently” although they have not been able to “access the service consistently”.

Added Mr Hinds, “I know [NWC] billing system comes with sewerage and all the rest of it, which people have to pay for, but they have not been receiving any water in their lines.”

And Government MP Mr Heroy Clarke from St James Central observed that while some people will pay a bill they consider unjustified to avoid further complications, the situation was “sometimes… mind-boggling”.

For, said he, while “up to part of January” constituents were without NWC water, yet they were still getting escalating bills.

Mr Clarke noted complaints that come to him and his parliamentary colleagues regularly, such as “…MP, boss, we don’t get no water but we seeing a bill. What are we paying for?…”

And as told by Mr Clarke, he and other MPs have found themselves unable to explain to constituents because they themselves don’t understand. Hopefully, political representatives and others will be better able to respond to such questions from bewildered and frustrated NWC customers following Wednesday’s PAAC discussion.

Indeed, the NWC’s Corporate Public Relations Manager Mr Delano Williams did point out to the parliamentary committee a range of issues, including anomalies, which do affect the NWC billing system. He also referred to built-in remedies.

In the circumstances, we think applause is due to NWC executive Mr Herman Fagan for conceding communication inadequacies and the need for improvement. It seems to us that not only in relation to NWC, but other public utilities, much confusion and misinformation could be avoided with practical, down-to-earth and proactive communication strategies.

Crucially, Hurricane Melissa — the effects of which to this day continue to undermine digital and related communication in western Jamaica — emphasised the continuing importance of simple, old-fashioned, face-to-face meetings with people in their local spaces.

In that latter respect, we believe electricity provider Jamaica Public Service Company has done well in more recent times.

Going forward, that old-fashioned approach should be patterned far and wide by service providers, in our view.