PORT MARIA, St Mary — Saying that its trucks are thoroughly sanitised twice a year, the National Water Commission (NWC) has assured residents of St Mary that the water it provides to them is safe.

“We can assure you that our trucks have been sanitised and have passed the necessary inspection so the water you are receiving is of good quality,” said operations manager for the NWC’s Port Maria branch, Rohan Forrester.

He was speaking during a recent town hall meeting which the NWC co-hosted with the St Mary Municipal Corporation.

Forrester’s assurance came after one resident raised concerns about the safety of water being trucked to households. He pointed out that the NWC has seven water trucks in operation and they all undergo sterilisation every six months. Forrester stressed, however, that he could not speak to the standards of privately contracted trucks.

The municipal corporation’s Chief Executive Officer Ethlyn Douglas interjected during the discussion to speak to the status of trucks used by the local authority.

“Every six months they are inspected and stamped by the Ministry of Health,” Douglas stated.

Forrester also used the meeting to urge residents to check their pipelines for leaks and blockages to improve water flow in the town of Port Maria. Even before the onslaught of the ongoing bout of dry weather, residents and business operators had expressed concern over a lack of, or limited, water supply in the town and surrounding communities.

There are frequent disruptions in service within the densely populated town and many businesses do not have water storage tanks. Forrester urged businesses and residents who are unable to access water to contact the NWC office so the matter can be addressed.

“We take note of the challenges in some areas, and we try to service those areas with truck water. The NWC will be working assiduously in getting truck water to both residential and business customers alike,” he said.

— Ingrid Henry