An $86-million emergency allocation, expanded water trucking, the distribution of water storage tanks, and plans to construct additional loading bays to improve water delivery are among measures the Government has planned as the country grapples with prolonged dry conditions that are expected to worsen. If there is no relief in sight over the next three months, it is estimated that the national drought response could climb to approximately $500 million.

Speaking during a media briefing, Thursday, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda said the focus will be on reducing the impact on vulnerable communities.

“The trucking would have been split proportionally based on the data that we had related to rainfall in June, so that the areas experiencing the worst conditions would receive the greatest support,” he explained.

As outlined during the media briefing, beginning August 10, if necessary, about $100 million per month will be spent on trucking water. The National Water Commission (NWC) will focus on supplying critical infrastructure, including hospitals, health centres, schools and police stations, while Members of Parliament (MPs) will oversee water distribution in communities experiencing low water pressure and other supply challenges. Municipal corporations will also assist in areas outside the NWC’s service network.

The minister also announced the resumption of the Government’s black water tank distribution programme. Channelled through MPs and the Social Development Commission, it will target communities experiencing severe water scarcity, particularly those where residents are unable to afford trucking of water. Even as these measures are put in place, Samuda stressed that water conservation must remain a priority for every Jamaican as the country continues to experience higher temperatures and below-average rainfall.

Another key initiative will see the immediate construction of 30 additional water loading bays near wells owned by both public and private entities, including the Urban Development Corporation and Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited.

According to Samuda, the additional loading facilities will reduce wait times for water trucks, improve turnaround times and allow for overnight loading, enabling earlier deliveries to communities in need.

The minister noted that discussions about drought typically occur during Jamaica’s traditional dry season between February and March. This year, however, dry conditions have prompted those concerns at a different point in the rainfall cycle, an indicator of the growing effects of climate variability.

The minister said that significant investments in the country’s water infrastructure have strengthened the Government’s ability to respond to drought. Samuda cited a sharp reduction in non-revenue water — lost through leaks and other inefficiencies — in the Corporate Area. In 2015, Kingston and St Andrew recorded non-revenue water losses of approximately 71 per cent. Today, those losses have been reduced to about 38 per cent, while St Catherine records losses of roughly 40 per cent, he said.