OPPOSITION spokesman on water and special projects Ian Hayles has suggested that by granting temporary water connections to squatters, the National Water Commission (NWC) could tackle its chronic non-revenue water problem.

He also argued that thousands of Jamaicans willing to pay for metered water are being turned away because of bureaucratic hurdles.

Making his contribution to the sectoral debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Hayles said non-revenue water continues to undermine the financial performance of the NWC, with between 40 and 60 per cent of the commodity supplied by the utility generating no revenue.

At the same time, he argued that many of the more than 800,000 people living in informal settlements across Jamaica are unable to obtain legal water connections despite wanting to pay for the service.

“These are Jamaicans who just want to own a piece of the rock to call home and live with dignity, yet they find it difficult year after year to see a path to doing so when applying for metered water,” he said.

He further argued that the existing application process is preventing many people from entering the formal billing system and, in some cases, encourages illegal connections.

“Thousands of Jamaicans are turned away every year from the NWC offices for land title issues, to get landlord permission, for no proof of address, or national ID or TRN — all this while the NWC pipeline runs across their doorstep. And we know what our brothers and sisters do out of frustration,” he added.

Hayles maintained that many residents of informal communities are not seeking free water but rather a legal avenue to access and pay for the service.

“I am recommending that the NWC implement a good faith application that once an individual comes through their doors to apply for a meter, that person should be granted a temporary meter connection and given 90 days to complete requirements to regularise the application,” he suggested.

The proposal formed part of a wider presentation in which Hayles argued that Jamaica’s water sector requires significant reform to improve efficiency, expand access, and strengthen the financial viability of the NWC.

He argued that reducing non-revenue water must be treated as a national priority, noting that the losses continue to affect the NWC’s bottom line while limiting resources that could otherwise be invested in infrastructure upgrades and service improvements.

Hayles also suggested that the current system leaves many law-abiding citizens with few options, despite living in communities already served by water infrastructure.

“Until they own their home they still need legal access to potable water. This is a must; water is life, and we all want that life so why are we making it so difficult for people to get water legally?” he asked.

The Westmoreland Western Member of Parliament said addressing the issue would not only improve access to potable water but could also help bring more customers into the formal system, increasing revenue collection and reducing dependence on unauthorised connections.